Box Score by Cory Guinn
WILSON, N.C. – Three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning led the Barton baseball team to a 10-9 win over the Flying Fleet of Erskine College on Friday afternoon at Nixon Field.
The Fleet (24-13, 13-6) entered the weekend ranked No. 8 overall in the latest NCAA Division II Southeast Region Poll, however, the Bulldogs (23-16, 8-11) pounded out 15 hits and scored five runs over the final three innings of play to come away with the victory.
Erskine opened the game scoring an unearned run in the top of the first after a Barton fielding error. Barton responded with three runs in the bottom half on RBI hits from seniors Calvin Hawke and Blake Spangenberg and sophomore Ricks Dearing for a 3-1 lead.
A solo home run in the second inning and a two-run blast in the fourth allowed the Fleet to go back in front 4-3 before an RBI triple from Hawke brought two Barton runs across and gave BC a one-run advantage in the fifth inning.
A four-run seventh inning, including a two-run home run, put Erskine ahead by an 8-5 score as senior Andrew Webster cut the Barton deficit to two runs with his 17th home run of the year in the home half of the inning.
Erskine's Connor Greene hit his second long ball of the game, a solo shot, in the eighth inning before an RBI single from senior Shawn Montren kept the Fleet lead at a two-run margin. Junior left-hander Andrew Davis was inserted into the game to start the ninth for Barton and struck out two batters while allowing just one hit to give BC a chance for a comeback.
The first batter of the inning went down on a strikeout for BC but Webster singled up the middle and advanced to second after a walk was issued to Hawke. Dearing flied out to center, advancing Webster to third and putting runners on the corners with two outs.
Sophomore Gatlin Pate stepped to the plate and delivered an RBI double to left center, scoring two runs and tying the score at 9-all. Spangenberg strolled into the box and sent a 1-1 pitch up the middle, scoring Pate from third and sealing the win for the Bulldogs.
Barton starter Dylan Ward was roughed up to the tune of nine runs (eight earned) on 10 hits with four walks and three strikeouts over eight innings in his 10th start of the season. Davis (2-3) collected the win for Barton, allowing just one hit with two strikeouts in an inning of relief.
Hawke led the offense with a 3-for-4 performance, producing a triple, three RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base. Spangenberg was 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI, while Pate was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Webster and sophomore Troy Maslowski also produced two hits apiece.
Barton and Erskine will square off in a doubleheader tomorrow afternoon at Nixon Field beginning at Noon.
