Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Belmont, NC – Erskine College opened up Conference Carolinas play by sweeping a double header from Belmont Abbey College Saturday afternoon.  The Fleet won game on 7-3 and game two 6-2.

Game One

Erskine (14-2, 2-0) got on the board in the top of the first when Andrew Kozak (Sidney, NY, Hudson Valley CC) led off with a single, advanced to third on a single by Chase Corn (Travelers Rest, SC, Blue Ridge HS) and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Zach Smith (Lexington, SC, White Knoll HS).  The Abbey (8-14, 1-4) would tie the game up when Anthony Dimino would be hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the first and later scored on a passed ball.  In the top of the third, Sam Cothran (Williamston, SC, Palmetto HS) would single and advance to second when Corn drew a walk.  With two outs, Logan Galliher (Taylorsville, NC, Alexander Central HS) would single to right center to score Cothran.  Destin Nichols (Tampa, FL, Berkley Prep) would follow with a two run double and scored on a single by Brandon Wooten (Taylors, SC, Blue Ridge HS) to make it a 5-1 game.  The Fleet would add another run in the fourth when Kozak singled with two outs and scored on a double by Cothran.  The Crusaders would score two runs in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to three, but Erskine would add an insurance run in the eighth and hold on for the victory. 

Nichols was 2-3 with a double and two RBI's to lead the Fleet, while Kozak added two hits and scored two runs.  Cothran was also 2-5 with a double and RBI.  Austin Gambrell (Belton, SC, Spartanburg Methodist College) (3-1) picked up the win allowing two earned runs on five hits ans struck out six in six innings of work.  Wes Schuler (Spartanburg, SC, USC Sumter) (2) picked up his second straight save allowing just one hit and striking out four in 1.2 innings of relief.

Game Two

Again Erskine got on the board in the top of the first when Corn blasted a two out solo home run over the right field fence.  In the second inning, Galliher doubled to right center and then scored when Nichols reached on a Crusader error.  Nichols would advance to third on the error and then scored on a ground out by Wooten to make it a 3-0 game.  The Abbey would score two runs in the bottom of the second to cut the Erskine lead two one.  The score would remain 3-2 until the top of the fifth.  Brandon Overstreet (Stuart, FL, Herkimer CC) would lead off with a single up the middle and advance to second on a bunt single by Kozak.  After a balk moved the runners to second and third,  a wild pitch would score Overstreet.  Corn would single to right scoring Kozak and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Smith to make it a 6-2 game.

Corn was 2-2 with a home run and two runs driven in, while Kozak added two more hits to pace the Erskine offense.  Matt Gunter (Anderson, SC, TL Hanna High School) (1-0) picked up the win allowing just one hit and striking out five in four shutout innings of relief work.

The two teams will conclude their series with on Monday at 2:30.