Florence, SC – The 17th ranked Flying Fleet’s post season run ended Saturday afternoon losing to fourth ranked Columbus State 8-7 in an elimination game of the Southeast Regional Baseball Tournament.

In the bottom of the second inning, Luke Danielewicz (Spartanburg, SC, Dorman High School) would hit a one out double down the line and then score on a single by Zach McCarthy (Spartanburg, SC, Byrnes HS). Casey Winckowski (Oregon, OH, Owens CC) would then double down the left field line and an error by the Cougar left fielder would allow McCarthy to score and Winckowski to advance to third. Matt Youngblood (Travelers Rest, SC, Blue Ridge CC) would then lift a fly ball into right center field allowing Winckowski to tag up and slide in ahead of the throw from the outfield to give Erskine the 3-0 lead.

Columbus State would make it a 3-1 game in the top of the third on an RBI triple by Alex Montes, but Erskine starter Russell Reid (Hudson, NC, South Caldwell HS) would retire the next two batters to end the rally. The Fleet would push their lead back to three runs in the bottom half of the inning when Bryan Fogle (Lexington, SC, Lexington High School) doubled off the left field wall and would score when John Bolding (Pickens, SC, Pickens HS) singled to right field. The lead would not last long as the Cougars would take advantage of an Erskine error to score three unearned runs and tie the game at four.

In the top of the fifth, Reid would give up a lead off single and then give way to freshman Kit Carter (Byrnes, SC, Byrnes HS). Cater would then give up a RBI double to Jason Rodgers to give Columbus State the lead. Rodgers would then steal third, but Carter would retire the next three hitters and keep the Cougars lead to one run.

In the bottom of the fifth, Greg Huff (McDonough, GA, Henry County High School) hit a one out single through the left side bringing fellow senior Chas Anthony (Pickens, SC, Pickens High School) to the plate. Anthony would then blast the 2-1 pitch over the left field wall and put the Fleet up 6-5. The Fleet lead would be short lived as the Cougars would respond in the sixth with two runs to go back ahead 7-6 and then they added an insurance run in eighth. Erskine would score an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth to make it a one run game and they would have the tying run at second base in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, but the Cougars would get a strike out to end the game.

McCarthy led the Fleet going 2-4 with an RBI, while Fogle was also 2-4 with a double. Carter (1-1) took the loss allowing two runs on two hits in 1.1 innings of work.

The Fleet end their season with a record of 41-17, the third most victories in school history.

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