Box Score Belmont, NC – The Flying Fleet defeated Belmont Abbey 9-4 Friday afternoon to take the opening game of the three game Conference Carolinas baseball series.

In the top of the second inning, Josh Purvis (Valdosta, GA, Armstrong Atlantic University) and Phillip Herring (Dillon, SC, Dillion HS) would hit back to back singles to lead off the inning and put runners on first and second with no outs for Erskine (9-9, 3-4 Conference Carolinas). Both Purvis and Herring would score as Emilio Pagan’s throw to first on Cameron Yost's (Simpsonville, SC, Hillcrest HS) sacrifice bunt attempt went wide of the mark.

The Abbey (16-8, 7-3) rallied with two outs in the bottom of the second to cut the deficit to 2-1. After Caleb Shore drew a two out walk and Michael Vargas was hit with a pitch to put runners on first and second, Shore scored from second as Chase Corn's (Travelers Rest, SC, Blue Ridge HS) pickoff attempt sailed into right field.

Erskine answered back in the top of the third to extend its advantage to 3-1. Will Huff (Sugar Hill, GA, North Gwinette HS) laced a one out single and was driven in on Brandon Wooten's (Taylors, SC, Blue Ridge HS) double to left center.

Justin Vasquez hit a solo home run with two out in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Abbey deficit to 3-2.

The Flying Fleet pushed its advantage to 5-2 in the top of the sixth. Purvis started off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a balk by Nate Cudney following a failed sacrifice bunt by Herring. Yost singled through the right side of the infield to bring home Purvis. A passed ball by Kyle Buchanan allowed Purvis to advance to second, and single by Cody Spence (Belton, SC, Belton-Honea Path HS) plated Purvis for the second run of the frame.

The Crusaders would cut the deficit to 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Joey Frabasile led off the inning with a single. After Matt Mazzolla struck out swinging, Kyle Buchanan and Shore were each hit with a pitch to load the bases. The Crusaders were left with one out to work with following a Vargas foul out. Ian Vazquez answered with a two out single to score Frabasile and Buchanan. 

Erskine rallied with two outs to extend its advantage to 8-4 in the top of the seventh. Wooten singled with two outs and advanced to second on Purvis’s single. Herring followed with a single to plate Wooten and move Purvis to second. Cudney hit Yost to load the bases and was replaced on the mound by James White. Spence singled to right to allow Herring and Purvis to score.
Another run in the top of the eight sealed the 9-4 victory for the Flying Fleet. Corn started off the inning with a double and advanced to third on Drew Willingham's (Greenwood, SC, Greenwood HS) ground out. White induced a Huff groundout for the second out of the inning. Corn scored as McCarthy reached on a fielding error by Vargas. 

Spence led the Flying Fleet with a 3-5 performance with two RBI. Wooten went 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Purvis was 3-5 with three run scored on the day. Taylor Wall (Summerville, SC, Pinewood Prep HS) (1-2) was the victor going three innings and allowing three runs on four hits in relief of Corn, who worked the first three innings. Heath Gray (Greer, SC, Byrnes HS) (1) nailed down the save after yielding just one hit, a leadoff double by Vasquez in the ninth, over the final one and one-thirds scoreless innings.

The two teams will conclude their series with a double header starting tomorrow at 12:00 pm.

Box Score