Belmont, NC - The Erskine College baseball team split a doubleheader with Belmont Abbey Saturday afternoon. The Crusaders won game one 7-3 and the Fleet won the second game 12-10.
In game one, the Abbey never trailed as it scored the first three runs of the game, starting with one in the first. Justin Vasquez reached on a fielder’s choice, moved to third on a single by Joey Frabasile, and scored on a single to left by Kyle Buchanan.
Two innings later, the advantage grew by one as Buchanan doubled home Frabasile, who had walked earlier.
The following inning Matt Mazzolla made it 3-0 with a leadoff home run. Erskine sliced the Abbey lead to 3-2 with two runs in the fifth, using a sacrifice fly by John Bolding (Pickens, SC, Pickens HS) that scored Phillip Herring (Dillion, SC, Dillion HS). Drew Willingham (Hodges, SC, Greenwood HS) followed with a single to center that plated Brian Laznik (Chardon, OH, Lakeland CC).
The Crusaders answered with one run of their own in the bottom of the frame to move the lead to 4-2. Vasquez worked a leadoff walk, raced to third on a double by Frabasile, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Chris Vazquez.
That was all of the scoring until the seventh when the Flying Fleet pushed one run across. Laznik reached on an error and scored on a double by Zach Smith (Lexington, SC, White Knoll HS) to cut the deficit to 4-3, but Erskine would not score again.
The Abbey widened the gap to 6-3 with two runs in the seventh, using a leadoff homer by Vasquez and Frabasile scoring on a wild pitch.
Erskine threatened in the ninth, putting two runners on with two outs, but a fielder’s choice groundout and strikeout ended the game.
Crusaders starter Taylor West earned the win in five innings of work, giving up two runs on three hits and striking out two. Andrew Guest (4-1)(Easley, SC, Easley High School) took the loss. He yielded six runs on nine hits in six innings, fanning four. Cody Stull earned the save after holding Erskine to just one hit over two scoreless innings, fanning two.
In the second game, the Fleet would get two in the first inning on RBI singles from Casey Winckowski (Oregon, OH, Owens CC)and Luke Danielewicz (Spartanburg, SC, Dorman High School). In the second inning, Laznik would single through the right side to score Zach McCarthy (Spartanburg, SC, Byrnes HS), and then score on a two run home run to centerfield by Smith to make it a 5-0 game. Solo home runs from Winckowski and McCarthy in the top of the third would push the Erskine lead to 7-0.
The Crusaders closed to within 7-3 in the third, as Danny Brion singled to center, moved to second on an infield single by Josh Frazier, and to third on a walk to Vasquez that loaded the bases. Frabasile then singled to left, scoring Brion and Frazier. The ball was misplayed in left, allowing Frabasile to move to second, but was cut down at third, but not before Vasquez scored to cut the deficit to 7-3.
Erskine answered with three runs of its own in the fifth to move out to a 10-3 lead, but the Abbey made its move in the bottom of the fifth.
Shore ripped a one out double and scored on a single to left by Frazier. After Sanchez singled Frazier to second, Vasquez blasted a three-run homer to right to pull the Crusaders to within 10-7.
One inning later, Sanchez tied the game at ten on one swing of the bat, blasting a three run homer to deadlock the game at ten. His homer brought home Shore and Brion. Brion laced a one out double and Shore singled him to third.
With the score tied at ten, the Flying Fleet moved ahead for good in the top of the seventh. After a leadoff strikeout, catcher Shawn Glover (Columbia, SC, Richland Northeast High School) lined a double just inside the right field line, and he would score the winning run on the next at bat when Laznik singled to right. Smith followed with another double, this one scoring Laznik to give Erskine an insurance run.
The Crusaders went down in order in the top of the seventh.
Atlee Pearson (3-1) (Duncan, SC, Byrnes HS)earned the win in an inning and two-thirds of relief. The third and final Erskine pitcher of the day, Pearson gave up one run on one hit and struck out two. Jordan Cudney, the seventh and last Abbey pitcher, took the loss. He gave up two runs on three hits in two innings. He struck out four.
Smith led Erskine with three of its 14 hits, finishing 3-5 with three RBI and two runs scored.
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
