Erskine College Athletics

GASTONIA, N.C. – The No. 7 seed Erskine College baseball team (27-24, 20-13 CC) defeated the No. 10 seed Southern Wesleyan University (16-35, 10-23 CC) by a score of 14-1 in the play-in round of the 2026 Conference Carolinas Baseball Championships at CaroMont Health Park on Wednesday evening.

Carson Yates and Stephen Kriner each homered and drove in five runs at the bottom of the lineup, as part of a 14-run onslaught from the Fleet offense, while a steady start from Chase Grube helped the Fleet continue their season another few days.

THE ESSENTIALS 
Conf. Carolinas Standings | Stats | Scores
Div. II Scores | Record Book | CC Digital Network
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Back in the conference tournament after missing out last season, Erskine allowed the game's first run in the top of the first inning, but Chase Grube beared down to limit the damage and the Fleet offense went to work. Mason McManus lifted a solo home run in the bottom half of the first to tie the game, and then Carson Yates and Drew Potts went back-to-back in the second, putting Erskine in front, 5-1. Stephen Kriner chipped in with a three-run blast in the next frame, and the Fleet slugged four home runs in the first three innings to take a commanding lead. As Grube found a rhythm on the mound, Kriner delivered again with a two-run double to start a big fifth inning for the Fleet. Yates followed with a two-RBI double of his own, before McManus made it a third run-scoring double with a two-bagger of his own that scored Yates. Ricky Dober capped the scoring for Erskine with a sacrifice fly, putting the finishing touches on six-run frame for the Fleet to extend their lead to 14-1. Grube pitched into the sixth inning and Erskine got quality relief efforts from Coleman Garner and Nick Groover to cruise to a run-rule victory and advance into the double elimination portion of the bracket.

THE PLAYER
Carson Yates earned the start on Wednesday following his regular-season performance against the Warriors and delivered again, this time in the postseason. Yates went 2-for-3 at the plate, scored a pair of runs and totaled five RBIs, including a three-run home run in the second inning. His first big fly in an Erskine uniform put the Fleet in front for good, providing a big lift at the bottom of the Fleet's lineup.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Erskine will meet No. 2 seed Francis Marion University (40-10, 27-6 CC) on Thursday at 3 p.m. at CaroMont Health Park to begin the Fleet's action in the double-elimination part of the Conference Carolinas Baseball Championships.

MORE ABOUT THE ERSKINE COLLEGE FLYING FLEET

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