DUE WEST, S.C. – The Erskine College baseball team (8-11, 1-4 CC) split a doubleheader against King University (6-12, 1-4 CC) at Grier Field on Thursday.

Incoming severe weather in the area forced the Fleet and Tornado to cut their originally scheduled three-game series this weekend down to just a doubleheader on Thursday, and following an 8-7 heartbreaking loss in Game 1, Erskine responded in a big way, with a 17-0 win in Game 2.

THE ESSENTIALS 
Conf. Carolinas Standings | Stats | Scores
Div. II Scores | Record Book | CC Digital Network
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1: King 8-7 Erskine
After both teams went quietly in the first, the visitors opened the scoring with home runs in the second and third innings to take an early 3-0 lead. Caden Marsters got the Fleet on the board in the bottom half of the third with his first home run as a member of the Flying Fleet, though. King scored two more runs in the next half inning, but RBIs from Christian Rivera and Ben Maskin got it back to a two-run game again after four innings. The Tornado controlled the next two frames and Erskine faced an 8-3 deficit heading into the bottom of the sixth. Singles from Dale Francis, Jr. and Rivera started the frame, and Adrian Rolon followed by working a walk to load the bases with no outs, as the Fleet looked to chip away. Maskin kept the line moving with a two-run single through the left side to make it an 8-5 game. Dustin Scogins came on out of the bullpen for the Fleet in the seventh and put up a much-needed zero to keep Erskine within three. Maskin delivered once more in the bottom half, another run-scoring hit, plating Wilmis Castro to get the Fleet a run closer. Scogins continued to keep the hot King lineup at bay, and the Erskine offense used a two-out rally in the bottom half. Jude Littrell worked a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a Castro double to make it a one-run game heading to the ninth. Cooper Guest relieved Scogins on the mound and picked up right where Scogins left off, striking out a pair in a scoreless frame, and giving the Fleet one last chance to finish the comeback. The bottom of the ninth started well for the Fleet, with Rivera working a lead-off walk and Rolon singling to left field to put the tying and winning runs on base. Maskin followed by dropping down a well-executed sacrifice, but the Fleet were unable to scratch across the tying run as their amendable comeback efforts fell just short in the opener.

Game 2: Erskine 17-0 King (Final / 7 innings)
The final scoreline of Game 2 might suggest an offensive onslaught, but Erskine had to battle through the first few frames. Freshman starting pitcher Alex Heintz was far from perfect, but he got massive outs when needed and racked up punchouts throughout his afternoon. King had property on base in each of the first four innings, but Heintz responded every time, getting eleven of his twelve outs via the strikeout to keep the game scoreless. Then, in the bottom half of the fourth, the Fleet offense broke through and did it in a huge way. Ben Maskin started the party with a rocket lead-off home run directly off the batter's eye over the center field fence. After a groundout, three straight Erskine hitters reached base and Christian Rivera cleared the bases with a three-run double to make it a 4-0 game. Moments later, Dale Francis, Jr. singled home Rivera, and after Adrian Rolon was hit by a pitch, Erskine had hit around in the frame. But, the Fleet were far from done, as Maskin singled home Francis, Jr. in his second at-bat of the inning to make it a 6-0 lead. A Tornado error allowed Rolon to score, before a two-run double from Carlos Gonzalez was the "cherry-on-top" of an unreal nine-run inning from the Fleet to blow the game open. Jared Guell took over on the mound in the fifth and promptly struck out the side in order before the Fleet bats were at it again in the bottom half. After a flyout to start the inning, Erskine loaded the bases for Maskin, who continued his monster afternoon at the plate with a two-run double to get Erskine into double digits. Daniel Hernandez came off the Fleet bench and delivered a two-RBI double of his own, and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Finally, Juan Jaime capped an emphatic 17-run outburst in Game 2 with a mammoth, pinch-hit, three-run home run as the Fleet scored eight more times in their half of the fifth. Guell continued to cruise on the mound through the final two innings, and the combination of Heintz and Guell tossed a shutout, while striking out 18 hitters of the 21 outs recorded by the Fleet in a dominant Game 2 performance.

THE PLAYER
Ben Maskin had about as impressive of a doubleheader performance that you will see on Thursday afternoon. In Game 1, the Erskine third baseman went 2-for-3 with four RBIs, before following it up with a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate in Game 2 with four more runs in driven in, including a line-drive, lead-off home run in the fourth inning that kick-started the Fleet's offensive outburst.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Erskine has the rest of the weekend off before a double mid-week at home that begins with a contest against Mars Hill University (7-8, 3-3 SAC) on Tuesday at 2 p.m. The Fleet have won six straight over the Lions, including a 9-3 victory in Due West last season behind a five-RBI day from Christian Rivera.

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