February 10, 2008

Boxscore

FLORENCE, S.C.—Senior first baseman Sam Williams (Rockingham, N.C.) provided three RBI including a two-run home run to lead the St. Andrews Presbyterian College baseball team past local arch-rival UNC Pembroke, 5-4, on Sunday night in the final game of the 2008 Swamp Fox Challenge hosted by Francis Marion University at Cormell Field.

The Knights (2-4 overall) scored four runs in the final three innings to rally to the win and snap a four-game skid. The Braves (5-2) dropped their second straight game in as many days.

St. Andrews started the scoring in the third inning when senior Tyler Wolfe (Southern Pines, N.C.) scored on a UNCP error. Wolfe led off with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a walk by junior J.T. Maguire (Jarrettsville, Md.). Junior leadoff batter Ivan Rodriguez (New York, N.Y.) then laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both Knights into scoring position but Rodriguez’ speed down the first-base path led to a Braves error that sent Wolfe home on the play.

Pembroke tied the game in the fifth with an unearned run and took their only lead of the day, 2-1, with another run in the top of the sixth.

Williams catapulted the Royal Blue and White back on top with his two-run homer in the home half of the sixth. Williams hit a laser over the leftfield fence for the Knights first home run of the season after junior Kyle Norris (Laurel Hill, N.C.) singled in the left-center gap.

The Braves once again tied the game at 3-3 with another unearned run the seventh before St. Andrews took the lead for good with a pair of runs in the eighth.

Sophomore Charles Webber (Concord, N.C.) started the decisive Knights surge with a leadoff bloop-single to short right and senior Michael Eastwood (Grantsboro, N.C.) followed with a perfect bunt single down the right side of the infield.

Two consecutive hits to begin the eighth rattled Braves junior reliever Ryan Kirkman (Liberty, N.C.), who played his first two seasons at SAPC. Kirkman continued to feel the pressure and a balk followed by a wild pitch allowed Webber to score and Eastwood to move around to third. After a Norris walk, Williams added a crucial insurance run for the Knights with a sacrifice fly that sent Eastwood home.

Senior starter T.J. Chrusch (Fleetwood, Pa.) threw seven impressive innings for St. Andrews allowing just one earned run on six hits while striking out three in the no-decision. Freshman reliever Kyle Cummings (Wake Forest, N.C.) was credited with his first collegiate victory after pitching a scoreless eighth. Cummings, who has not allowed a run in his first three collegiate appearances, also had a strikeout. Senior Travis Lee (Frederick, Md.) then closed the door on the game with his first save of the season.

St. Andrews visits Chowan University (Murfreesboro, N.C.) on Tuesday afternoon for a non-conference doubleheader with the first pitch of the opener slated for 1:00 p.m.