St. Andrews loses offensive affair in opposition to CIU

Editor’s be aware: Some stats have been unavailable for each groups. All stats are unofficial.

LAURINBURG — After profitable the primary two video games of a three-game weekend sequence in opposition to the Columbia Worldwide Rams (9-22, 6-15 AAC) on Friday, the St. Andrews Knights baseball staff (16-14, 10-7 Appalachian Athletic Convention) appeared for a sweep on their dwelling discipline Saturday afternoon, in a sport that was up within the air on account of inclement climate earlier within the day.

What additionally was up within the air was the baseball, as each offenses have been clicking total; nonetheless, a sluggish begin by the Knights put them in a bind which they by no means may get better from, inflicting them to fall 17-12.

“We simply couldn’t match them offensively,” St. Andrews head coach Andy Fox mentioned. “I felt good coming into in the present day. It was type of a day the place the wind’s blowing out 20 or 30 miles per hour, and a few balls that usually keep within the park went out of the park, some balls that usually get caught have been doubles. We did should get out right here and mess with the tarp, and sit round. And that’s not an excuse; I assumed we have been able to play. They (Columbia Worldwide) simply performed higher than we did in the present day.”

On the very first pitch of the sport, Columbia Worldwide’s James Lovera would go yard for one among his 5 whole runs on the day.

It started what would ultimately turn out to be an extended day on the mound for the Knights, as they might undergo seven totally different arms within the contest.

Tyler Barfield began the sport on the bump for St. Andrews; Josh Hill relieved Barfield, and Reigo Rodriguez, Satoru Arai, Lucas Compton, Ronnie Brandon, and C.J. Harrison all threw afterwards.

“I assumed our pitching struggled in the present day,” Fox mentioned. “(They) struggled throwing strikes, clearly gave up too many hits. A few guys that haven’t gotten many innings for us this yr received alternatives in the present day. I feel that we have now loads of depth and we’re gonna give guys alternatives so far as seeing what they’ll do.”

The Rams added three extra runs within the first inning, earlier than scoring one other within the second to steer 5-0.

The Knights lastly erased the doughnut on the scoreboard within the backside of the second, after a Samuel Rosario RBI single on a line drive introduced in Drake Davidson from third.

Issues turned bleak for the Knights within the third, although. The Rams would put up eight runs within the inning, capped off by a Britton Morris RBI double that scored Joshua Hernandez and Carter Willis, to go up 13-1.

Nevertheless, the Knights answered with an enormous third inning of their very own. After Garrett Hamby was walked, Joshua Benfield would lengthen his hitting streak this season to 27 video games with a house run to left discipline, making the rating 13-3. Javier Socorro helped add one other pair of runs with an RBI double on a line drive to deep left discipline, which drove in Adrian Ojea and Dallas Trevena, to make the St. Andrews deficit 13-5.

Lovera scored one other run for the Rams within the fourth earlier than the offense settled apart for the fifth.

The Rams took their largest lead of the sport within the sixth inning, because of a run from Brandt Miller to make it 15-5, earlier than the Knights answered with two runs within the backside of the inning.

A line drive to middle discipline from Hamby gave Caden Santucci the inexperienced mild dwelling from third, and an RBI single on a floor ball scored Chris Le.

After one other run by Lovera made the Rams lead 16-7 within the high of the seventh, the Knights would get one from Cesar Morillo within the backside of the eighth.

Lovera scored Columbia Worldwide’s closing run of the sport within the ninth, however the Knights continued to battle within the backside half of the inning. With just one extra out wanted for Columbia Worldwide to win the sport, a Dom Zinna fly ball to deep left discipline would deliver dwelling Ojea from second. Zinna, then, scored on a handed ball from third, earlier than Le hit a line drive single to middle discipline to attain Socorro and Morillo.

However, after Hamby received to first on a floor ball, he would get tagged out advancing to second on a stolen base try to finish the sport with a runner on third.

Barfield took the loss, permitting six runs on 5 hits in 2 1/3 innings pitched.

Deric Hanko earned the win for Columbia Worldwide, giving up seven runs on 10 hits in six innings pitched.

Brett Collins and Hunter Garris pitched in reduction of Hanko.

Whereas the loss on paper could not look good for the Knights, Fox believes in any other case.

He mentioned that Columbia Worldwide is a a lot better staff than what they’ve completed with wins this yr.

“Their report shouldn’t be good,” Fox mentioned. “However that’s so much higher baseball staff than what their report is. And so they’re much more offensive than what their report is.”

The Knights proceed AAC play on Tuesday at 3 p.m. in opposition to the College of South Carolina Beaufort in Laurinburg.