BELMONT, N.C. – The Erskine College baseball team (11-4, 3-2 CC) split a doubleheader to wrap up a series victory over Belmont Abbey College (11-5, 1-5 CC) at Abbey Yard on Monday. Belmont Abbey won Game 1 of the day, but the Fleet responded with a thrilling 15-14 win in extra innings thanks to a walk-off single from Tyler Smith in a series that had its final two games moved due to inclement weather over the weekend in Due West.

THE ESSENTIALS 
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Div. II Scores | Record Book | CC Digital Network
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: Belmont Abbey 16-2 Erskine
The Crusaders jumped out to an early 9-0 lead before Armando Becerra got Erskine on the board with a two-run home run in the third inning. But, Game 1 of the day belonged to Belmont Abbey as they cruised to a victory.

Game 2: Erskine 15-14 Belmont Abbey (Final / 10 innings)
That set up a rubber match for Game 2 of the doubleheader and Game 3 of the series, and it quickly turned into a shootout. The Fleet wasted no time jumping out to an early, following an easy top of the first inning from starting pitcher, Cooper Guest. A single and a walk in the bottom half set the table right away for Dale Francis, Jr. who opened the scoring with an RBI single. Back-to-back walks brought home another run before Ashby Smith began his perfect day at the plate with a two-run single. Cal Kryska capped the inning with a sacrifice fly as the Fleet put up a five-spot in their first at-bat. Belmont Abbey answered with five runs of its own in the second inning, but it wasn't long before the Fleet offense put up another crooked number. In the bottom of the third, Erskine had two on and just one out for Smith, who went the other way for an RBI double, putting Erskine back in front. Kryska followed by dropping down a bunt, and thanks to a Crusaders error, two more Fleet baserunners came across to score. Kryska eventually scored on a wild pitch, giving the Fleet a 9-5 lead. Abbey tied the game again in the top of the fourth inning, but Erskine scored four times again in their half of the frame, thanks to RBIs from David Hernandez, Kryska, and Rolando Lujo. But, the Crusaders put up four more runs in the top of the fifth, meaning that at the halfway point, the game was tied at 13. The offenses quieted down after that, but a Belmont Abbey solo home run gave them their first lead of the game, 14-13. However, with Erskine down to its last five outs, Smith came through again, with a solo home run of his own that tied the game. Caleb Dix worked a scoreless ninth inning and sent the rubber match to extras. Johnny Hummel came for the top of the 10th and struck out four batters in the inning, the last of which stranded the go-ahead run at third base, giving Erskine a chance to walk it off in the bottom half. After the first two batters of the inning were retired, Smith doubled to center field for his fifth hit of the game, giving Tyler Smith a chance to win the game. And the junior delivered with a line drive single into left field, scoring Ashby Smith as the Fleet won a 15-14 extra-inning thriller, and earned its first series win over Belmont Abbey since 2016. 

THE PLAYER
Ashby Smith had a career game in Game 2 of the doubleheader, going a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate with two doubles, a home run, four runs scored and four driven in as he delivered with one clutch hit after another, along with scoring the winning run in the 10th inning.

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Fleet will have the next few days off before conference play continues with a three-game series at home against Francis Marion University (7-7, 4-2 CC) on Friday at 2 p.m. at Grier Field.

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