DUE WEST, S.C. – The Erskine College baseball team (22-18, 19-13 CC) split a doubleheader against Chowan University (6-25, 3-25 CC) on Friday afternoon at Grier Field. The Fleet still won the series, taking three of four against the Hawks to close out their 2021 regular season. Chowan won Game 1, 4-3 in eight innings, and the Fleet responded with a commanding 20-3 win in Game 2 to clinch the series.

THE ESSENTIALS 
Conf. Carolinas Standings | Stats | Scores
Div. II Scores | Record Book | CC Digital Network
 
THE SERIES
Chowan earned its first ever against the Fleet, who still lead the all-time series 6-1 after outscoring the Hawks 58 to 14 this weekend.

HOW IT HAPPENED
GAME 1: The Erskine bats were silenced by Chowan starting pitcher Shane Rademacher as he kept the Fleet out of the hit column through five innings. Meanwhile, Chowan scored twice in the third inning and again in the sixth and had a 3-0 lead going into the seventh inning. Rademacher went back out looking for a complete game shutout, but the Fleet offense woke up. The first three batters of the inning tallied a hit, capped by a Cal Bocchino RBI double to get Erskine on the board and the Fleet had the tying run in scoring position with still nobody out in the frame. Cody Forster delivered a sacrifice fly and Livan Reinoso, with the Fleet down to their last out, singled through the right side to score Bocchino and tie the game at three as Game 1 went to extra innings. Chowan regained the lead in their half of the eighth when the courtesy runner scored, but the damage was limited to just one run thanks to a great throw from Drew Yniesta in left field to gun down the would-be second run of the inning. But, that single run was enough for the Hawks as Erskine was retired in order in the bottom of the eighth and lost Game 1, 4-3.

GAME 2: The Fleet bats, though, returned to normalcy in the back half of the doubleheader. Livan Reinoso got the scoring party started with a bases-clearing double in the second inning to give Erskine its first lead of the day at 3-0. Chowan got a run back in the top of the third before the Fleet offense exploded. Four straight Erskine players tallied run-scoring singles in the bottom of the third before Dayan Reinoso capped a monster eight-run inning with a three-run big fly as the Fleet opened up an 11-1 lead. And Erskine continued to pour it on in their half of the fourth inning. It started with a Livan Reinoso grand slam, part of his 8-RBI performance in Game 2. Then, Drew Yniesta followed with a solo home run to center field as the Fleet went back-to-back. Dalton Boyd and Bocchino ended another eight-run inning with RBIs of their own as the lead ballooned to 19-1 for the Fleet. Erskine added another in the fifth inning on a towering solo home run to left field from Dayan Reinoso. Chowan scored twice in the eighth, but it was elementary at that point as Erskine cruised to a 20-3 win in their final game of the regular season.

THE PLAYER
GAME 1: Cal Bocchino was 1-for-3 with an RBI double in the seventh inning to get Erskine on the board and scored the game-tying run moments later for the Fleet.

GAME 2: Livan Reinoso was 3-for-7 in Game 2 with a season-high 8 RBIs, including a third-inning grand slam.

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Fleet now turn their attention to the upcoming 2021 Conference Carolinas Tournament next week. Erskine will either be the three or four seed, depending on Belmont Abbey's final game of their regular season. If the Crusaders lose, Erskine will be the three seed. If Belmont Abbey wins, the Fleet will be the four seed.

Either way, Erskine will open its conference tournament against Belmont Abbey on Thursday, April 29, at 11:00 a.m. at Fleming Stadium in Wilson, N.C. That Belmont Abbey game later today will decide who is the home team in that first round game.

Belmont Abbey took three of four in Due West earlier this year back in the middle of March.
 
MORE ABOUT THE ERSKINE COLLEGE FLYING FLEET

    Visit the Official Home of Erskine Athletics at www.erskinesports.com
  
    Follow us on Social Media – Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Photos