Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
GAFFNEY, S.C. – Erskine split their Conference Carolinas double header with Limestone Monday afternoon, falling 3-1 and winning game two 8-3 .
Game One
Trailing 1-0 heading into their final at bat, the Saints found a way to break through against Erskine starter Heath Gray (Greer, S.C.) with the tying run in the bottom of the seventh. With one on and two outs, junior DH Julian Bridges (Shelby, N.C.) won a 10-pitch battle by drawing a walk to keep the game alive before junior shortstop Michael Kelly (Kenneth, Pa.) punched a blooper over the second baseman’s head to tie the game at 1-1.
Junior second baseman KJ McAllister (Wilmington, N.C.) then greeted Gray with a leadoff single in the bottom of the eighth before moving over on junior centerfielder Josh Greene’s (York, S.C.) sacrifice bunt. The Fleet made a pitching change but the strategy did not go as plan as Balderman deposited the game-winner, a two-run blast on a 2-1 pitch, over the rightfield fence.
Starting pitching had the upper hand in game one as Gray and Limestone’s Cameron Ward (DeLand, Fla.) dueled to a scoreless tie through the first four innings. Gray allowed just a leadoff single to open the game but would then retire the next 12 batters in order, including six by way of strikeout.
Ward was picked up by his defense in the early going as a 4-6-3 double play in the first and a spectacular diving catch by Greene in the third kept things even 0-0 through the first four frames. The Fleet broke the deadlock in the top of the fifth as a one-out RBI single by Logan Galliher (Taylorsville, N.C.) put the visitors up 1-0, but Ward limited the damage by leaving the bases juiced.
Sophomore Kaleb Earls (Blacksburg, S.C.) picked up the win in relief, running his record to 3-1 on the season. He struck out one in 1.2 innings out of the bullpen. Ward took a no decision despite allowing just one run over 6.1 innings of work. He struck out two.
Gray took the loss to fall to 3-1 on the season, allowing two runs on six hits in 7.1 innings. He finished with six strikeouts. Kit Carter (Duncan, S.C.) faced just one batter, allowing one run on Balderman’s walkoff shot.
Galliher led Erskine with a pair of hits and an RBI while Chase Corn (Travelers Rest, S.C.) and Phillip Herring (Dillion, S.C.) also registered a couple of hits.
Balderman paced the Saints with his two-run big fly while McAllister went 2-for-4 to run his hitting streak to 13 straight games. Kelly went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Game Two
In the second close game of the day, it was Erskine this time that broke through in the late going as it busted through with five runs after batting around in the top of the ninth. With two on and no outs, Cody Spence (Belton, S.C.) punched the go-ahead run across with an RBI single before Galliher capped the scoring with a two-run single to give the Fleet an 8-3 advantage.
Although he gave up the game-winning hit in the first game, Carter would not allow history to repeat itself in the bottom of the ninth as he struckout the first two Saints to greet him before forcing an innocent fly ball to center to seal the win.
Limestone opened the scoring in game two on an infield RBI single by Balderman but the Flying Fleet responded with a pair of runs in the top of the second. Back-to-back doubles by Drew Willingham (Greenwood, S.C.) and Richard Dix (Clemson, S.C.) opened the frame before Brandon Wooten (Taylor, S.C.) added an RBI sacrifice fly to put Erskine in front 2-1.
The Fleet tacked on a single run in the third behind Austin Gambrell’s (Belton, S.C.) RBI knock but Limestone rallied with runs in the bottom of the third and the fourth innings to draw the contest even. Balderman closed the gap to 3-2 with his second RBI base hit of the game before Kelly tied the game at 3-3 for the Saints with a little dribbler back to the mound an inning later.
Carter picked up the win in the nightcap to run his season mark to 2-0, striking out three in 2.1 scoreless innings. Taylor Wall (Summerville, S.C.) got the start for Erskine but was handed a no-decision after allowing three runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings of work.
Freshman starter Ryan Cliff (Charlotte, N.C.) took the loss for the Saints, falling to 1-2 on the year after giving up four runs on seven hits in eight plus innings. He struck out four. Earls gave up four runs – one earned – on three hits in a third of inning.
Galliher guided the Flying Fleet with a 2-for-5 effort in game two with two RBIs. Erskine’s 6-7-8-9 hitters combined for four hits and four RBIs.
Balderman went 3-for-3 with two RBIs in the nightcap for Limestone while junior first baseman Cooper Gunter (Leesville, S.C.) also collected three hits. McAllister extended his hitting streak to 14 in a row with a pair of knocks while Kelly registered a hit and an RBI.
Limestone was scheduled to host Francis Marion University tomorrow, February 26 at 2:30 p.m. but that game has been postponed due to heavy rain forecasted to impact the area. No makeup date has been announced. The Saints hit the road for 14 of the next 18 games when they travel to face Wingate University on Wednesday, February 27 at 3 p.m.
