WILSON, N.C. – The Barton College baseball team (13-10, 8-6) split a Conference Carolinas home doubleheader with Erskine (15-10, 5-8) on Friday afternoon at Nixon Field. The Flying Fleet rolled in the first contest by a 21-9 score while the Bulldogs salvaged the split with a 6-2 triumph in the nightcap.
Game One – Erskine 21, Barton 9
The Flying Fleet's Dale Francis, Jr. (Fort Pierce, Fla.) hit three home runs and finished with eight runs batted in as Erskine scored early and often to put the contest away. Francis, Jr.'s second home run – a three-run round-tripper – gave the Flying Fleet a 12-2 advantage after just three innings of play.
Ashby Smith (Gaffney, S.C.) added a grand slam for the visitors, who totaled 23 hits in the contest. Erskine's Parker Cassell (Easley, S.C.) (2-1) pitched the final five innings to earn the win.
For Barton, junior outfielder
Carelle Gonzalez (Bridgeton, N.J.) hit a three-run home run while freshman second baseman
Salvatore Laimo (Philadelphia, Pa.) and junior outfielder
Raymond Paniagua (Blue Springs, Mo.) added solo shots in the losing effort. Senior
Brett Widerman (Wilmington, N.C.) suffered the loss for the Bulldogs.
Game Two – Barton 6, Erskine 2 (seven innings)
Barton junior
Tanner Halvorson (Eau Claire, Wisc.) improved to 4-2 on the season and drove in a pair of runs to lead the Bulldogs to the victory. Halvorson struck out five batters and allowed just one earned run for his fifth complete game of the year.
Halvorson's RBI double in the first inning proved to be the game-winner while Francis, Jr., hit his fourth home run on the day for Erskine in the losing effort. The Flying Fleet's Cooper Guest (Simpsonville, S.C.) fell to 1-3 after taking the loss.
The two teams wrap up the league weekend series Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
