BRISTOL, Tenn. – The Erskine College baseball team (8-3, 1-1 CC) split a doubleheader against King University (7-1, 1-1 CC) to begin conference play at the King Baseball Field on Saturday afternoon. Erskine took Game 1 by a score of 5-3, and rallied late in Game 2, but fell just short, 7-5.

THE ESSENTIALS 
Conf. Carolinas Standings | Stats | Scores
Div. II Scores | Record Book | CC Digital Network
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: Erskine 5-3 King
King took an early 2-0 lead on a two-run home run in the first inning, but the Fleet began climb back into the game behind the production from Juan Jaime. The shortstop drove in Erskine's first run with an RBI single in the third inning, and then tied the game in the fifth with another run-scoring hit. Moments later, Armando Becerra crossed home plate on a wild pitch, giving Erskine a 3-2 lead. The Tornado answered with a run in the bottom half, tying the game at 3. But, the Fleet delivered the final blow in the sixth inning, After back-to-back singles from Dale Francis, Jr. and Dalton Boyd, Erskine was in position go back in front, and after a King error, Tariq Bacon delivered with an RBI groundout. Rolando Lujo followed by taking advantage of another Tornado error, scoring Boyd and giving the Fleet a 5-3 lead. After a flurry of runs in the middle innings, starter Joe Alegre battled his way through seven solid innings, and handed the ball off to the Erskine bullpen, still holding a two-run lead. Kevin Heinrich and Parker Cassell each recorded an out, before the Fleet went to their closer, Johnny Hummel, to seal the victory. Hummel issued a pair of walks in the ninth, but induced a groundout to the next batter, giving Erskine a 5-3 victory in Game 1.

Game 2: King 7-5 Erskine
After a couple of scoreless innings, Christian Rivera broke the deadlock with his third big fly of the year, giving the Fleet a 1-0 lead. King answered with an RBI double in the bottom half to tie the game. Erskine went back in front on a Bacon sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth. But, King put up a five-spot in the bottom half of the inning and added another in the sixth, taking a 7-2 lead. Bacon tried to jumpstart a furious rally in the seventh and final inning with a three-run home run, meaning the Fleet needed just one more baserunner to bring the tying run to the plate. But, the Tornado got the final two outs, as Erskine fell short in Game 2, 7-5.

THE PLAYER
Dale Francis, Jr. went 5-for-8 in the doubleheader, including a perfect 4-for-4 performance in a Game 1 victory in the middle of the Fleet order.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Erskine returns home for a midweek bout against Lincoln Memorial University (10-0) on Tuesday at 2 p.m.

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