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Box Score 2
by Kevin Buczek
LAURINBURG, N.C.-St. Andrews University completed a Conference Carolinas doubleheader sweep of visiting Barton College on Saturday afternoon at Clark Field defeating the Bulldogs 3-1 in the first game and 10-7 in the second game.
The Knights (7-15 Overall, 2-6 Conf.) and Bulldogs (5-15, 0-7) will conclude the three-game weekend series with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Barton was held to just one hit in the opener as SAU starter Ryan Pierce tossed seven hitless innings in the no decision.
The Knights scored an unearned run in the fourth but the Bulldogs knotted the score with their own unearned run in the seventh. Sophomore Collins Cuthrell reached on an error to lead off the top of the seventh an eventually scored on a groundout by freshman Spiers Miller.
Senior starter Bentley Massey was once again denied his first win of the season. Massey hurled 4 1/3 innings without allowing an earned and struck out six. Massey has a 2.84 ERA in five starts but remains 0-4 on the season.
SAU led off the decisive eighth with a back-to-back singles before Barton recorded the next two outs but a two-run single by freshman Matthew Beauchemin broke the deadlock.
On the mound, Beauchemin surrendered the Bulldogs only base hit – a leadoff single by senior Ryan Daughtry in the top of the eighth – but was credited with the win with two scoreless innings of relief of Pierce.
Junior Christian Oliver (0-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing the two singles to start the SAU eighth.
In the nightcap, St. Andrews broke open a 2-1 game with eight runs in the fifth and then held off a late Bulldog rush to complete the sweep of the twin bill.
Daughtry ripped an RBI-double in the top of the third to give the Bulldogs an early lead but the Knights scored a pair of runs in the fourth to take the lead for the rest of the contest. SAU then exploded for its eight-runs in the fifth that was highlighted by the first seven Knights reaching base safely (five hits and two walks).
Barton responded with five runs in the sixth that featured a leadoff homer by junior Phillip Williams, a two-run single by senior Chris Rawlings, a run-producing single by junior Clay Martin and a Daughtry bases-loaded hit by the pitch.
The Bulldogs added one more run in the seventh but SAU wiggled free of the late Barton push.
BC junior Kyle Norville (1-5) suffered the loss surrendering five runs on eight hits in four-plus innings of work.
Freshmen Kyle Shade and Tyler Nolan paced the Knights with two RBI each.
