Box Score
by Kevin Buczek
LAURINBURG, N.C.-An eighth-inning single by senior left fielder Clay Martin droving in the game-tying run to force extra innings but Barton College's fourth error of the game led to a walk-off 3-2 win for host St. Andrews University in 13 innings at Clark Field on Tuesday afternoon.
Sophomore pinch hitter Matt Malik came up with the clutch one-out single to center field to plate junior leadoff batter Ryan Harrold for the game-winning run. St. Andrews has won five of its last seven to improve to 19-15 overall.
Freshman Ricky Jernigan gave the Bulldogs nine solid innings in his first collegiate start but Barton slipped under .500 at 15-16 overall because of fielding mistakes. BC has won 10 of its last 14 games with two of the four losses coming in extra innings (the Bulldogs lost to Kutztown University in 12 innings).
Barton is next scheduled to play Pfeiffer University in a three-game Conference Carolinas series beginning with a single game at Fleming Stadium on Friday at 5 p.m. Fans are encouraged the baseball schedule page on BartonBulldogs.com for weekend updates with the potential of forecasted rain altering the schedule as the weekend approaches.
A sacrifice fly in the second provided the hosts with the first of its three leads but Williams scored in the top of the sixth to knot the score at 1-1. Williams had a one-out single and later scored on a wild pitch.
A Barton error in the home half of the sixth allowed St. Andrews to quickly regain the one-run advantage on sophomore Michael Durig's RBI-double.
The Bulldogs used a two-out rally in the eighth to force extra innings. Junior Avery Harper doubled down the right field line before coming around to score on Martin's single into the left field gap.
Barton had a couple chances to score the go-ahead run in extras. Junior Collins Cuthrell stole second in the top of the 10th and tried scoring on another base hit by Martin but SAU right fielder Kortell Nixon made a nice play tracking the ball down and rifling an accurate throw home to beat Cuthrell by a couple steps. The Bulldogs had the bases loaded with one out in the 13th when sophomore Mitchell Wheeler popped up an attempted suicide squeeze bunt. Durig made the catch off the mound and had plenty of time to turn the double play at third after the runner broke home on the pitch.
Durig earned the win in relief after Malik was able to knock in the game-winning run with his pitch hit.
Jernigan only allowed six hits and one earned run over nine innings in the no decision. Junior Zach Beachem took the loss despite not allowing an earned run. Beachem (0-1) had his longest relief appearance scattering just three hits over 3 1/3 innings. Beachem still has not allowed an earned run this season in eight appearances.
Barton outhit St. Andrews 14-9 but left 15 runners on base. Williams and Harper each had three hits while Martin, Wheeler and senior Alex Brann each tallied two base hits.
