DUE WEST, S.C. – The Erskine College baseball team (13-14, 5-6 CC) defeated Limestone University (16-13, 8-7 SAC) by a score of 12-10 at Grier Field on Tuesday afternoon.

The Fleet took an early lead and opened it up to a 10-2 advantage behind a monster performance from Dale Francis, Jr., but had to hold off a furious Saints' rally as Caleb Dix and Nick Hyde slammed the door shut for an Erskine win.

THE ESSENTIALS 
Conf. Carolinas Standings | Stats | Scores
Div. II Scores | Record Book | CC Digital Network
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Fresh off a momentum-building series win at Belmont Abbey over the weekend, the Fleet picked up right where they left off as Christian Rivera and Dale Francis, Jr. each had first-inning doubles to give starting pitcher Blake Holshouser (4 IP, 1 ER, 6 K) an early lead. Limestone tied the game in the top of the second, but Erskine posted another vintage "crooked number" in the bottom half. Rivera and Francis, Jr. started the scoring with a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and an RBI single respectively. Then, Jude Littrell capped the big inning with a two-strike, two-out, three-run home run as Erskine struck for five runs to take a 6-1 lead. Francis, Jr. cranked a no-doubt home run in the fourth, and then he and Littrell had run-scoring hits in the fifth inning as Erskine opened up a commanding 10-2 advantage. Or at least that's what it seemed to be, but Limestone battled back with a six-run sixth inning to cut the Fleet's lead to 10-8. David Hernandez launched a two-out, solo home run to give the Fleet a bit of a cushion heading into the final three frames. The Saints, though, scored twice in the top of the seventh and were suddenly within a run at stretch time. A bases-loaded walk drawn by Tyler Smith gave Erskine some insurance, but the Fleet stranded the bases loaded in their half of the seventh. However, Caleb Dix posted a zero in the eighth inning, and Nick Hyde worked around a one-out double to seal a 12-10 win in what became a mid-week shootout.

THE PLAYER
Dale Francis, Jr. had a perfect afternoon at the plate, going 6-for-6 with two doubles, a home run, and four RBIs. Francis, Jr. is the first Erskine hitter to record six hits in a game since Will Huff reached the impressive total back in 2011.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Erskine goes back on the road in conference play this weekend, starting a three-game series at Chowan University (6-20, 2-10 CC) with a doubleheader on Thursday at 12 p.m.

MORE ABOUT THE ERSKINE COLLEGE FLYING FLEET

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