FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – The Erskine College baseball team (26-19, 16-12 CC) began a three-game series with a convincing win over Emmanuel College (16-28, 8-17 CC) by a score of 10-2 at th EC Baseball Field on Friday afternoon behind a complete game performance from Allan Saathoff.

THE ESSENTIALS 
Conf. Carolinas Standings | Stats | Scores
Div. II Scores | Record Book | CC Digital Network
 
THE SERIES
Erskine still leads the all-time series 15-4.

HOW IT HAPPENED
After a couple of zeroes in the first few innings, Erskine opened the scoring in the third as a Lions error allowing Dontate Wade to score the first run of the game. Emmanuel answered with a run in the fourth to tie the game, but the Fleet dominated the middle innings of the series opener. In the top of the fifth inning, Tariq Bacon hit a two-out double and scored moments later on a Gregory Sanders single to break the tie and put Erskine back in front, 2-1. Kyle Marti drew a walk to advance Sanders into scoring position before Armando Becerra singled him home and doubled the Fleet's lead. Allan Saathoff worked around a leadoff hit batsman in the bottom half and kept the momentum in the Erskine dugout. Christian Rivera led off the sixth inning with a single and came around to score on a Kane Fisher base hit. Then, Dontae Wade delivered a punishing blow with a two-run home run as he continued his tear at the plate and gave the Fleet a 6-1 lead. Saathoff set down the Lions in order in the bottom half of the sixth before the Fleet put up another crooked number in the seventh with some patient at-bats. Dalton Boyd, Wade, and Sanders each drew bases loaded walks before another Emmanuel error allowed Boyd to score as Erskine cracked double figures, leading 10-1. And that was more than enough as Saathoff was dominant from start to finish on the mound with a complete game performance in Erskine's 10-2 win to open the series.

THE PLAYER
Allan Saathoff earned his first complete game performance of the season as he stifled Emmanuel batters all afternoon long, allowing just five hits and one earned run while striking out a joint season-high 10 batters and picking up his fifth victory of the year.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Erskine and Emmanuel conclude their final conference games of the year with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, starting at 1:00 p.m.
 
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