Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ST. AUGUSTINE – Kalyn Loverich picked up a pair of wins in the circle as No. 13 (NFCA/NCAA Division II Top 25) Flagler College swept a season opening doubleheader against Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 10-1 in six innings and 11-9 Saturday afternoon at Flagler Field.

Loverich tossed a combined 10 innings and scattered seven hits and struck out 16 batters to lead the Saints. Flagler batted .467 as a team as it collected 28 hits, 11 of which went for extra bases. The Saints were a perfect 10-for-10 in stolen bases on the afternoon.

In the opener, the first-year Eagles got on the board in the first inning, but the Saints rallied for two of their own in the home half. Christen Moon knocked in Darcey Cochran who led off the frame with a triple to tie the game, and later, Moon and Lauren Bessent executed a double steal with Moon swiping home plate.

That would be it until the fourth inning when Marissa Blake belted a run-scoring double down the left field lone and later scored on a wild pitch.

The Saints broke it wide open with a six-run sixth inning. Kirstie Flink hit a two-run double and Melanie Oliver ended the game with a three-run home run which brought about the mercy rule.

Loverich (1-0) tossed all six innings and allowed only two hits and one run. She fanned eight and during one stretch retired 10-of-11 batters.

Oliver went 3-for-4 with a double, home run and three runs batted in. Blake went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, scored two runs and knocked in another. Moon singled, doubled, drove in a run and scored twice. 

Alexis Estrada (0-1) tossed four innings, allowed eight hits and four earned runs. Sarah Huey doubled and scored while Dee Espinosa doubled and drove in Huey.

NOTE: Flagler tied a school single-game record with six doubles, tying the mark set on Feb. 19, 2012 against Eckerd College.

Flagler 10, Embry-Riddle (FL) 1 (Feb 02, 2013 at St. Augustine, Fla.) (Game 1)
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Embry-Riddle (FL)... 100 000  -  1  2  2      (0-1)
Flagler............. 200 206  - 10 13  0      (1-0)
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Battery: Embry-Riddle (FL) - Alexis Estrada; Robi Zimmerman(5) and Dee Espinosa. Flagler - Kalyn Loverich and Molly Whittington; Kirstie Flink(6).
Win-Kalyn Loverich(1-0)  Loss-Alexis Estrada(0-1)  T-2:04  A-73
2B ERAU – Sarah Huey; Dee Espinosa.
2B FLG – Kirstie Flink; Christen Moon; Melanie Oliver; Molly Whittington; Marissa Blake 2.
HR FLG - Melanie Oliver (1).
Weather: 53;sunny and cool
Estrada faced 1 batter in the 5th.
Zimmerman faced 6 batters in the 6th.


The second game proved to be a slugfest with both teams combining for 20 runs and 28 hits.

Flagler, which held an early 7-2 lead, needed a four-run sixth inning to erase a 9-7 deficit. Moon led off the inning with a home run and three batters later, Tori Jolley tripled down the right field line to plate two more runs and the Saints had recaptured the lead 10-9. Blake singled to the left-center field gap to score Jolley for insurance.

Loverich (2-0) tossed the last four innings and held the Eagles to five hits and one run. She fanned eight batters and retired the last 7-of-9 Embry-Riddle hitters.

Moon finished 3-for-4 with the home run, drove in four runs and scored three times. Blake collected three singles, scored a run and knocked in two more. Whitney Little singled three times, scored two runs and broke the school's single-game stolen base record with three. Flagler, as a team, stole nine bases, which obliterated the previous record of five which was last done against North Georgia on Mar. 13, 2012.

Estrada (0-2) tossed 4 2/3 innings and surrendered six hits and four runs. Samantha Smith collected three singles and scored a run for Embry-Riddle while Espinosa hit a grand slam in the fourth inning which gave the Eagles a 9-7 lead.

Flagler will head to the Eckerd Triton spring Invitational in Clearwater which starts on Friday (Feb. 8) against Lynn University at 5:30 p.m. and No. 19 Barry University will follow at 7:30 p.m.

Flagler 11, Embry-Riddle (FL) 9 (Feb 02, 2013 at St. Augustine, Fla.) (Game 2)
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Embry-Riddle (FL)... 203 400 0 -  9 13  1      (0-2)
Flagler............. 250 004 X - 11 15  2      (2-0)
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Battery: Embry-Riddle (FL) - Robi Zimmerman; Alexis Estrada (2) and Dee Espinosa. Flagler - Tinsley Smith; Kalyn Loverich(4) and Kirstie Flink.
Win-Kalyn Loverich(2-0)  Loss-Alexis Estrada(0-2)  T-2:38  A-0
2B ERAU – Sarah Huey; Alex Wood; Savannah Smith.
2B FLG – Molly Whittington.
3B FLG – Tori Jolley.
HR ERAU - Dee Espinosa (1); Robi Zimmerman (1).
HR FLG - Christen Moon (1).
Weather: 59; cool and sunny
Smith faced 3 batters in the 4th.