Due West, SC – The Flying Fleet rode strong pitching performances and battled through the sleet and rain to take a 6-3 victory over the 8th ranked Patriots of Francis Marion Thursday afternoon at Grier Field.
In the bottom of the first Casey Winckowski (Oregon, OH, Owens CC) would reach base on an error by the Patriot first baseman, followed by a single by Bryan Fogle (Lexington, SC, Lexington High School). John Bolding (Pickens, SC, Pickens HS) would then lace a single into right field that would score Winckowski to give the Fleet the 1-0 lead. Francis Marion would take a 2-1 lead in the top of the third, with a RBI double by Alex Lee followed by an run scoring single from Barrett Kleinkecht.
Erskine would respond in the bottom half of the inning; Greg Huff (McDonough, GA, Henry County High School) would lead the inning off with a singe to left field and eventually score on a wild pitch to tie the game at two. Fogle would put the Fleet up when he reached on a fielder’s choice to score Winckowski, who had singled earlier in the inning. In the top of the fifth, Tyler Cappelman led off with a single and would later score on an RBI ground by Martin Gordan to tie the game at three.
The tie score would not last long as the Fleet would answer in the bottom half of the inning. Fogle led off the inning with a lined double down the left field line and then advance to third on a ground out to second base by Chas Anthony (Pickens, SC, Pickens High School). Bolding would once again come up with his second clutch hit of the game with an RBI single to put the Fleet up by one run. He would also add a two run single in the seventh inning to give Erskine some breathing room, and the Fleet rode the arm of Atlee Pearson (Duncan, SC, Byrnes HS) for the final 3.1 innings to take the win.
Bolding led the Fleet at the plate going 3-4 and driving in four of the Fleet’s six runs, while Fogle finished the 2-3 with a double and run batted in. William Buzhardt (Columbia, SC, Ben Lippen High School) had an outstanding pitching performance striking out three in 5.2 innings allowing two earned runs to pick up the win. Pearson finished off the game for the Fleet allowing just two hits and striking out six to pick up his first save of the season.
Lee led the Patriots at the plate going 3-4 with two doubles and an RBI, while Gordan and Kleinkecht both had a hit and run driven in. Josh Edgin took the loss allowing three earned runs on seven hits in five innings of work and striking out two.
With the win, Erskine improves to 3-0 on the season, while Francis Marion falls to 0-1. The two teams will play again in Florence, SC Saturday at 2:00 pm.
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