St. Andrews takes one in twinbill with Bluefield

LAURINBURG — If there was ever an instance of the St. Andrews Knights’ up-and-down season thus far, Saturday’s two-game matchup in opposition to the Bluefield Rams would undoubtedly be one.

After getting behind early in recreation one, the Knights have been in a position to squeeze a trio of runs on the board nevertheless it wouldn’t be almost sufficient, as they fell 10-3. Nonetheless, in recreation two, the Knights would do the precise reverse, going out in entrance rapidly and incomes a 7-1 seven-inning win over the Rams.

“They bounced again in an enormous approach,” St. Andrews head coach Andy Fox mentioned. “(We) did what we wanted to do and received out of right here with a cut up.”

Instantly after the top of the primary contest, Fox referred to as his crew over for a gathering to debate the efficiency.

The dialogue seemingly ignited a fireplace into his crew within the second recreation, regardless of Fox figuring out he isn’t the one taking part in the sport.

“I simply expressed to them that we needed to play higher and play the best way we’re able to taking part in,” Fox mentioned. “I informed them we’re approach higher than what we performed proper there and, if that wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t be mad; and, clearly I used to be livid. However, if I didn’t have nice expectations for them, or I didn’t suppose they may do one thing, I wouldn’t be mad about it. I simply suppose they decided that they have been gonna present up in recreation two and, then, clearly the rating speaks for itself.”

Sport one

When trying on the first recreation of the afternoon in a nutshell, one stat that pops out is that the Knights managed to outhit the Rams 10-9.

Fox mentioned the errors piled up for his crew although, and that it led to the Knights taking part in “one among, if not, the worst recreation we’ve performed your complete 12 months.”

“I used to be embarrassed of how we performed; that’s not St. Andrews baseball, Fox mentioned. “With our efficiency within the first recreation, it was errors, we gave up a run on a handed ball, we overthrew our cutoff males a time or two; I imply it was only a sloppy, ugly, baseball recreation in each aspect, besides offensively.”

One other subject all through the sport was the beginning the Knights had on the bump with Josiah Barhite, who allowed 5 runs on three hits with 5 errors, three walks, and a strikeout in two innings pitched.

After incomes excessive reward from Fox earlier than the season started, Barhite dropped to 2-4 on the 12 months in opposition to the Rams and recorded his fifth begin in-a-row the place his ERA was 5.00 or larger.

Fox mentioned Barhite’s efficiency and what he believes Barhite has struggled with this season.

“His greatest downside this 12 months has been throwing strikes,” Fox mentioned. “He’s at all times been a man that may stroll a man right here and there, after which he sort of will get it found out. And it’s not all on him; however, like at the moment, he simply couldn’t throw strikes. That’s what it got here all the way down to.”

St. Andrews was down 5-0 in the course of the third inning and allowed one other pair of runs from the Rams — one from Briley Harlan on a wild pitch, and an unearned run from Brady Joslyn on an error — to make it 7-0.

However, within the backside of the third, Samuel Rosario introduced in Cesar Morillo from second with an RBI single to left discipline to provide the Knights their first run of the sport.

After two scoreless innings from Bluefield, Rosario would declare one other RBI, this time on a double to proper discipline, which scored Adrian Ojea from third to make the Knights deficit 7-2 on the finish of the fifth.

With the Rams’ chilly scoring streak persevering with into the ninth inning, the Knights seemed to mount a possible comeback; however, a three-run ninth inning by the Rams elevated their result in 10-2.

One other rating by Morillo on a Chris Le RBI triple to proper discipline inched the sport nearer within the backside of the ninth, however a strike out from Rosario would put the sport to mattress.

Rosario led the Knights with three hits and two RBIs; Le and Ojea every had two hits, with Le additionally recording an RBI.

Joshua Benfield completed the sport 0-for-3 on the plate, which broke his 30-game streak of recording a minimum of one hit in a recreation.

Benfield mentioned the streak was one thing he couldn’t of accomplished with out the assistance of others on the crew.

“I at all times speak to our hitting coach, coach (Charles) Webber, and I’ll at all times inform him ‘man, it has to return to an finish,’” Benfield mentioned. “Our second baseman final 12 months talked to me so much and informed me ‘everybody needs to take it a recreation at a time and it’s important to take the following step ahead and take it an at bat at a time and a pitch at a time,’ and that helped me out so much.”

Shawn Taylor pitched six innings in reduction of Barhite, whereas Brenden Bille pitched an inning for the Knights.

Andrew Arguello earned the win for the Rams, giving up two runs on eight hits with two errors, a stroll, and two strikeouts in six innings pitched; Tyler Lowrey relieved Arguello and pitched three innings.

Dylan Cutler, Aiden Brown, and Harlan all tallied two hits apiece for Bluefield. David Meech had three RBIs and Bryce Medlock adopted behind with two.

Sport two

After a forgettable efficiency in recreation one, the Knights made positive to vary that within the back-half of the doubleheader.

It began with an environment friendly displaying from pitcher Nate Moretz, who led St. Andrews to victory and allowed one run on three hits with an error and 5 strikeouts in six innings pitched.

The hassle helped the Knights get out to a 2-0 second inning lead, with runs by Dallas Trevena and Brycen Seymore.

“I feel Nate Moretz on the mound set the tone early in that first inning by placing up a zero,” Fox mentioned. “And, then, we scored some runs there within the second inning and it sort of gave us a bit respiratory room.”

Benfield began one other potential hitting streak within the third after doubling to heart discipline, earlier than he was introduced in from third, together with Jude Drzemiecki from second, on a Trevena 2-RBI double to heart discipline to make the St. Andrews lead 4-0.

After Johnny Medina received the lone rating for Bluefield on a handed ball within the fourth, Morillo added the Knights’ fifth run of the sport, due to an RBI single to left discipline from Le, within the backside of the inning. Benfield continued the place he left off by going yard with a shot to left discipline, which additionally scored Le to seal the win for the Knights, after a scoreless fifth, sixth, and seventh inning.

Le completed with three hits to guide the Knights, whereas Benfield and Drzemiecki had two every; Benfield and Dallas Trevena recorded two RBIs apiece.

Joel Connors pitched an inning of reduction for St. Andrews, hanging out two.

Troy Leibert took the loss for Bluefield, permitting 4 runs on eight hits with 4 errors and a strikeout in 2 1/3 innings pitched; Ryan Voss pitched 3 2/3 innings for the Rams.

Bluefield’s Meech, Medina, and Harlan all had one hit.

St. Andrews outhit Bluefield 12-3 total; the competition period was 1:33.

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