Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Benny Benton
DUE WEST, S.C. – The Barton College baseball team took a 2-1 advantage into the sixth inning of its seven-inning opener on Saturday, but nationally-ranked No. 21 Erskine College erupted for a six-run inning to claim the first half of a Conference Carolinas twin bill at Grier Field.
In the nightcap, the Bulldogs produced 11 hits but could not get a run home, and the Flying Fleet scored double-digit runs on its 15 hits to claim the back half of the doubleheader as well, 11-0.
Erskine leads the league at 6-0 and is now 18-3 overall, while Barton drops to 7-18 overall and 2-4 in conference play.
Barton took a 1-0 advantage in game one when Phillip Cotten opened the third inning with a single, moved to second on Calvin Hawke's sacrifice bunt and later scored on a passed ball.
The Flying Fleet tied the game at 1-all in the fourth when Sam Cothran delivered a leadoff double, stole third and scored on a groundout by Zach Smith. Cothran stole two bases in the game and Erskine swiped six in the doubleheader to keep runners in scoring position.
The Bulldogs regained the lead, 2-1, in their next at-bat, as Hawke singled, moved to second on a groundout and scored on an RBI single by Barton's leading run producer, Dillon Rudio.
However, the Barton bullpen could not make that lead stick, as Erskine came up with its huge sixth inning. After giving up a leadoff single to Andrew Kozak and a one-out walk to Chase Corn, Barton starter Kyle Rufer was lifted for reliever Zach Breen, but Breen was greeted with consecutive singles by Smith and Logan Galliher, the second one driving in the game-tying run.
Erskine scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball, but the run would have soon scored anyways, as Breen issued a walk to pinch-hitter Cameron Yost. After Breen was lifted for another reliever, Mike Brienza, the Fleet scored on a sacrifice fly and an error to go up 5-2, and finished off the inning with a two-run pinch-hit home run by Richard Dix.
Rufer (2-2) was saddled with the loss despite allowing just four hits in 5.1 innings pitched. Rufer walked one and struck out one.
Meanwhile, Erskine starter Nic Levy (1-0) went the distance in just his second start of the year, scattering five hits, walking two and striking out a pair over his seven innings of work.
Rudio had two of the five hits to pace Barton, while Cothran had two of Erskine's seven hits.
In the second game, the Flying Fleet scored early and often to take any drama out of the nightcap.
Erskine jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning after getting three hits off Barton starter Duncan Everett (1-4). Corn had an RBI double to drive in one run, and Smith brought in the other run on a sacrifice fly.
The Fleet added two more runs in the second inning on a two-out double by Tanner Lollis and a Barton error. Erskine then put the game away with a five-run fourth inning produced on six hits, including a two-run homer by Corn, his third of the year.
Corn later added an RBI single in a two-run eighth inning. The two-time all-conference selection went 3-for-4 in the game with four RBI. Kozak added three hits in five at-bats, scored three times and drove in two. Cothran, Smith, Lollis and Joey Wilson all chipped in two hits each.
Mitchell Wheeler went 3-for-4 in the contest for Barton, with Andrew Webster, Chris Davis and Cotten each contributing a pair of hits.
The Bulldogs had a runner in scoring position in each of the first four innings, but each time Erskine starter JR Black worked his way out of trouble. Black went 5.1 innings, allowing eight hits and no walks while striking out three in improving to 4-0 on the season.
Barton stranded a total of 10 base runners and hit into a pair of double plays as well.
The Bulldogs hope to get back on track with a five-game home stand that begins Tuesday with a 3 p.m. contest against Kutztown University.
