GAFFNEY, S.C. – The Limestone College Saints defeated the No.9-ranked team in the country Friday afternoon by a score of 12-10. The Saints victory over Conference Carolinas-rival Erskine College is the Saints’ second victory of the season over a nationally-ranked opponent. The win moves Limestone’s conference record to 3-1 on the season and 7-4 overall. Erskine falls to 10-3 on the season with a 2-2 conference record.
The Flying Fleet jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the opening frame. Chas Anthony (Pickens, S.C.) opened the scoring with an RBI single. John Bolding (Pickens, S.C.) contributed a two-run single before Cody McElhaney (Beech Island, S.C.) closed out the scoring with another RBI single. The Saints quickly responded in their half of the first inning as they cut the lead to 4-2. Drew Lydon (White Plains, Md.) drove in a run with a single and then scored on a David Christy (Greenville, S.C.) RBI single.
Gregory Dailey (Baltimore, Md.) reduced the lead to 4-3 in the 2nd when he drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Limestone grabbed a 5-4 lead on a Lydon’s 2-run double.
The Saints expanded the lead to 9-4 in the third inning as Justin Moore (Mt. Holly, N.C.) produced an RBI ground out and Greg Dailey (Baltimore, Md.), Aldo Mendez (Cidra, Puerto Rico), and Tim Welsh (Kalamazoo, Mich.) each supplied RBI singles.
Erskine’s Brian Fogle (Lexington, S.C.) cut into Limestone’s lead with one swing of the bat. Fogle’s three-run homerun narrowed the contest to 9-7 in the fourth.
The Saints would expand the lead again in the bottom of the sixth when Seth Austin (Hurdle Mills, N.C.) chipped in a two-run single to give Limestone the 11-7 advantage.
The No. 9-ranked Flying Fleet refused to go away as they cut the lead to 11-10 with one run in the top of the seventh inning followed by two runs in the eighth. McElhaney tripled in a run in the seventh. Anthony and Matt Schneider (Greenville, S.C.) each contributed RBI singles in the eighth. Limestone added an insurance run to make it 12-10 in the bottom of the eighth as Moore knocked in a run with a single.
The starting pitchers for each team took the brunt of the punishment in the high scoring contest. Erskine starter Mike Moore (Lexington, S.C.), took the loss as he went only 2 2/3 innings, allowing 9 runs on 12 hits. Moore struck out 2. Huitt Scarborough (Anderson, S.C.) pitched five innings. He allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits. Scarborough walked two and struck out two.
Jordan Barnett (Richlands, Va.) got the start and a no-decision for the Saints. Barnett pitched 4 2/3 innings, giving up 7 runs on 10 hits and 3 walks. He struck out the side in the third inning on his way to nine strikeouts. Earning the win for Limestone was Brock White (Gaffney, S.C.), his first of the season. White went 2 2/3 innings giving up 4 hits, 3 runs (1 earned), and 1 walk while striking out 5. Jordan Robinson (Shelby, N.C.) pitched 1 2/3 shutout innings as he collected his second save of the season.
Fogle lead the Erskine offense as he went 3-5 with a homerun, 3 RBIs, and 3 runs scored. Anthony, Bolding, and McElhaney had two hits and two RBIs apiece. McElhaney had one triple. Schneider contributed two hits and an RBI and Keith Hill (Abbeville, S.C.) added two hits, two walks, and three runs scored.
Mendez had a stellar afternoon for Limestone, going 4-5 with one double, an RBI, and four runs scored. Lydon finished the afternoon 3-5 with a double, three RBIs, and a run scored. Walsh also went 3-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Austin and Moore both chipped in two hits and two RBIs apiece. Dailey finished with one hit and two RBIs while Christy added one hit and an RBI. Joe Maloney (Aston, Pa.) and Adam Vafides (Niceville, Fl.) each supplied a base hit.
Limestone and Erskine will play a double header starting tomorrow at noon.
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