DUE WEST, S.C. – The Erskine College baseball team (1-6) defeated Claflin University (3-3) by a score of 14-3 at Grier Field on Tuesday afternoon in the Fleet's 2026 home opener.

Erskine trailed 3-1 halfway through the third inning but dominated from that point, scoring the final 13 runs of the game, including a seven-run fourth, while the bullpen tossed six scoreless innings to earn the Fleet their first win of the season.

Co-head coaches Scotty Bateman and Jimmy Prince recorded their first win as collegiate head coaches on Tuesday.

THE ESSENTIALS 
Conf. Carolinas Standings | Stats | Scores
Div. II Scores | Record Book | CC Digital Network
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Back at home for the first time in 2026, Drew Potts' leadoff single helped get the Fleet off to a good start, as Potts came around to score the game's first run. However, Claflin launched a pair of home runs in the next two frames, putting Erskine behind 3-1. In the bottom half of the third, a Mason McManus RBI single and then some Erskine small ball, capped by a Jack Luthren sacrifice fly tied the game at three. Then, the Fleet offense came roaring to life in the fourth, started by McManus again, who hit a three-run home run over the left field corner to break the tie. Erskine was far from done in the inning, as Luthren smoked an RBI triple the other way and then Evan Rodriguez singled Luthren home. Brock Donnelly capped the crooked-number inning for the Fleet with his first Erskine home run, a no-doubt two-run blast to right field as the Fleet opened up a 10-3 lead. In the fifth inning, a passed ball and an error helped Adrian Rolon and Pierce Radke cross the plate to extend the Erskine lead. Rolon added an RBI single in the sixth and Blake Hall came off the bench to deliver a run-scoring single of his own in the eighth to cap the scoring for the Fleet. On the mound, the Erskine bullpen recorded 18 outs by six different pitchers as Ethan Wilford, Brandon Fears, Elias Hachem, Chris Giordano, Julien Hachem, and Benjamin Blondino combined for six scoreless innings of one-hit baseball in relief to stem the tide and then put the finishing touches on a convincing win for the Fleet in their home opener.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Erskine is right back in action on Wednesday afternoon to host USC Aiken (5-1) for a 2 p.m. first pitch.

MORE ABOUT THE ERSKINE COLLEGE FLYING FLEET

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