WINGATE, N.C. – The Erskine College baseball team (25-16, 11-11 CC) defeated No. 30 Wingate University (26-16, 15-6 SAC) by a score of 14-12 at Ron Christopher Stadium on Tuesday afternoon. The Fleet trailed by as many as six runs, but rallied back, as a Dalton Boyd go-ahed grand slam in the eighth inning gave Erskine the lead. Then, Tariq Bacon's pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth proved to be the game-winner in a furious comeback win over a nationally-ranked team.

THE ESSENTIALS 
Conf. Carolinas Standings | Stats | Scores
Div. II Scores | Record Book | CC Digital Network
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Wingate opened the scoring in the first inning to take an early lead, but the Fleet offense went to work in the second inning. Juan Jaime worked a one-out walk, stole second, and came around to score on a Logan Piedra RBI single to tie the game. And, Erskine wasn't done there as Jude Littrell followed with a walk, and Armando Becerra ripped a two-run double down the right field line that gave Erskine its first lead, 3-1. Ashby Smith's run-scoring single in the top of the fourth canceled out a Bulldogs run an inning prior, making it a 4-2 game. But, the 2021 Division II National Champions threw a heavy punch in their half of the fourth, scoring eight times and opening up a 10-4 lead. The Fleet went quietly in the fifth, but started to chip away thanks to a two-run home run from Christian Rivera in the sixth, making it a 10-6 game. Reliever Nick Pazos got a huge double play to put out a Wingate threat in the bottom half, and Erskine got a run closer in the seventh as a Carlos Gonzalez leadoff double set up a David Hernandez sacrifice fly, cutting the deficit to three at the seventh-inning stretch. Pazos faced the minimum in a scoreless bottom half of the seventh, and then it was time for the Fleet to throw their counter-punch. Becerra led off the frame with a base hit, Smith followed with a double to right center field, and Rivera worked a walk to load the bases with nobody out for Dalton Boyd. And the senior infielder delivered in the biggest way, launching a grand slam, and turning a three-run deficit into an 11-10 Erskine lead in just one swing of the bat. Wingate tied the game in the bottom half of the eighth, but the Erskine offense was not to be denied. After a couple of outs to start the inning, Becerra singled into right field and a Bulldogs error allowed Smith to reach base and give pinch-hitter Tariq Bacon an opportunity to put the Fleet back in front. And Bacon did just that, as he came off the bench and singled home Becerra, putting Erskine in front again, 12-11. Boyd and another pinch-hitter, Jaden James, each followed with RBI singles of their own as a furious two-out rally in the ninth gave Erskine a 14-11 lead. A couple of Fleet errors in the bottom half made things interesting, but closer Johnny Hummel induced a soft lineout to seal the victory.

THE PLAYER
Dalton Boyd was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with three walks and 5 RBIs. But, Boyd's biggest plate appearance of the day was his go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning that gave the Fleet their first lead since the fourth inning.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Erskine returns to conference play this weekend with a three-game series at Southern Wesleyan University (13-29, 7-17 CC) that starts on Friday at 6 p.m. Erskine swept the Warriors at home last season, but lost 3 of 4 in their last trip to SWU, back in 2021.

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