DUE WEST, S.C. – The Erskine College baseball team (17-11, 7-9 CC) swept a doubleheader to begin a three-game series against Chowan University (3-19, 2-12 CC) at Grier Field on Friday afternoon. The Fleet cruised past Chowan, 13-2, in Game 1, and then a game-winning home run from Christian Rivera helped the Fleet to 10-8 win in Game 2.

THE ESSENTIALS 
Conf. Carolinas Standings | Stats | Scores
Div. II Scores | Record Book | CC Digital Network
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: Erskine 13-2 Chowan
Christian Rivera and the Erskine offense wasted no time getting out to a lead as he singled home the game's first run in the opening inning. Then, Dalton Boyd followed with a huge three-run home run to right center field as the Fleet scored four times in the opening frame. Starting pitcher Joe Alegre had to battle throughout his afternoon but got timely outs in crucial situations, as he tossed five innings of scoreless baseball. A two-run home run from Rivera in the bottom half of the fifth added to the Fleet's lead, and Josh Collett relieved Alegre in the sixth, keeping the Hawks off the board. Carlos Gonzalez's RBI single in the bottom half made it 7-0, before Erskine put up another crooked number in the seventh. Jude Littrell, Gonzalez, and Rivera all had run-scoring hits as the Fleet scored six times in the frame and opened up a 13-0 lead. The Hawks got on the board in the eighth, but Harry Bernard finished off the win with an easy ninth inning, sealing a 13-2 Erskine victory.

Game 2: Erskine 10-8 Chowan
After a convincing win in the opener, the Fleet had to work from behind in Game 2 after Chowan scored three times in the top of the first inning. But, Tariq Bacon unloaded in the bottom half for a two-run home run that immediately got Erskine back within a run. In the second inning, a Logan Piedra RBI groundout tied the game at 3. Caleb Dix kept the game tied as he worked a scoreless top of the third, and Erskine took its first lead of the game in the bottom half on a two-run single from Dalton Boyd. A few batters later, Tyler Smith launched a three-run home run to straightaway center field as the Fleet scored five in the third and opened up an 8-3 lead. However, the Hawks answered with a five-spot of their own in the next half inning, tying the game at 8. It didn't take long for Erskine to jump back on top as Rivera launched his second opposite-field home run of the afternoon, this one a solo shot in the bottom half of the fourth, giving Erskine a 9-8 lead. Dale Francis, Jr. provided some insurance with an RBI double in the sixth, but one run was enough as Johnny Hummel recorded the final ten outs of the afternoon with ease, striking out seven in the process and sealing a 10-8 win.

THE PLAYER
Christian Rivera went 4-for-8 on the day and homered in both games of the doubleheader, totaling five RBIs in the first game, and his sixth-inning big fly in Game 2 proved to be the game-winner for the Fleet.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Erskine and Chowan wrap up their weekend tilt with one final game on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.

MORE ABOUT THE ERSKINE COLLEGE FLYING FLEET

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