February 16, 2008

Game 1
Game 2
Game 3

DUE WEST, S.C.—The St. Andrews Presbyterian College baseball team had to move its three-game Conference Carolinas series against undefeated Erskine College to the Flying Fleet’s Grier Field due to field construction at Clark Field. Erskine took advantage by sweeping the three-game series including a 15-8 victory on Friday and 18-8 and 3-0 wins in Saturday’s doubleheader.

The Flying Fleet, who are ranked No. in the South Atlantic Region, batted .402 for the three games with 47 total hits, 11 doubles, two triples, and four home runs to remain undefeated on the season at 11-0. The Knights fell to 3-8 overall. Erskine starts conference play at 3-0 while SAPC begins 0-3.

For the series, senior Michael Eastwood (Grantsboro, N.C.) led St. Andrews with four hits including a double while senior Eric Stone (Laurinburg, N.C.) and junior Kyle Norris (Laurel Hill, N.C.) each had three hits. Eastwood, Norris, and senior B.J. Horne (Hamlet, N.C.) all drove in three runs apiece.

The Knights next visit non-conference Wingate University (Wingate, N.C.) on Thursday at 2:00 p.m.

Game 1: Erskine 15, St. Andrews 8

On Friday afternoon St. Andrews held an 8-7 lead after six innings but Erskine rallied for the 15-8 win with eight runs in the final three innings.

The Flying Fleet jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first but the Knights tied the game up with three runs in the fourth. Norris plated the first two St. Andrews runs with a double and then scored on another double by sophomore Vince Giunta (Sewell, N.J.).

Erskine bounced back with four run in the top of the fifth but SAPC fought right back. The Knights pulled to within one, 7-6, with three runs in the bottom of the fifth on a double by junior J.T. Maguire (Jarrettsville, Md.), a groundout by sophomore Alex Ridout (Wake Forest, N.C.), and a single by senior Sam Williams (Rockingham, N.C.). St. Andrews catapulted into the lead with two more runs in the six on a clutch two-run single by Eastwood.

The Fleet collected 10 of their 22 hits in the final three frames including six extra-base hits to rally back to win by seven. A trio of Erskine pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts while St. Andrews freshman starter Caleb Johnson (Wilkesboro, N.C.) had two K’s in four innings of work.

Eastwood, Giunta, and Stone all collected two hits in the series opener.

Game 2: Erskine 18, St. Andrews

For the second straight game St. Andrews was able to score eight runs against Erskine, but a huge eight-run fourth inning by the Flying Fleet helped hand the Knights an 18-8 loss.

Erskine was leading 16-0 before the SAPC was able to drive in a pair of runs in fifth on a double by Eastwood and a RBI-groundout by Norris.

The Fleet added their final two runs in the top of the sixth before St. Andrews scored the final five runs of the game. Horne ripped his first home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth, a three-run blast. A single by Stone in the eighth and another single by freshman R.J. Blasi (Hubert, N.C.) in the ninth scored the final two Knights runs.

Game 3: Erskine 3, St. Andrews

In Saturday afternoon’s series finale, the Erskine starter pitched a seven-inning complete game shutout with five strikeouts. St. Andrews senior starter T.J. Chrusch (Fleetwood, Pa.) tossed an admirable complete game allowing just three runs (two earned) on six hits over 7.0 innings but the Flying Fleet were able to squeak out the 3-0 victory. Chrusch fanned five batters.

Junior Ivan Rodriguez (New York, N.Y.) was 2-for-3 with a stolen base in the nightcap but the Fleet was able to put up a lone run in second, third, and seventh to escape with the series sweep. The 3-0 loss was the first time St. Andrews has been shutout in 11 games this season.