ST. AUGUSTINE – For the second time in as many days, Flagler College had to rally to beat No. 3 (Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll) Lander University, but this time had to hold on in a white-knuckle ninth inning. The Saints won 8-7 in a Peach Belt Conference baseball game Sunday afternoon at Drysdale Field.
Flagler won its fourth game in a row and improved to 7-1 overall and 3-0 in the Peach Belt. The series sweep was Flagler's first since taking all three from the University of North Georgia, March 16-17, 2013. The Saints are off to the program's best start (7-1) since posting the same record at the start of the 2005 season. Lander lost its third straight and fell to an even 5-5 overall and 0-3 in conference play. This was the first time the Bearcats have been swept in a series since April 12-13, 2013 against the University of South Carolina Aiken.
The Saints held an 8-4 lead after four innings, rallying from a 4-0 deficit after the Bearcats scored all of their runs in the second.
But Lander struck for a run in the sixth and the seventh innings to tighten Flagler's lead to 8-6.
Will Jones led off the top of the ninth for Lander with a single to left field and took third on Colby Lusignan's base-hit to right-center field. That last single knocked Flagler reliever
Kyle Schackne from the game and
MacLain Larson came on to close the game. Chris Hyatt bunted Lusignan over to second base, but Jones had to hold at third base. Alex Conway grounded out to shortstop to plate Jones and cut the deficit to one run as well as advancing the game-tying run 90 feet away. Larson got Matt White to foul out to right field to end the game.
The Bearcats stranded 11 runners on base and six of those were left in scoring position.
Michael Maiocco (3-0) tossed six and one-third innings, allowed nine hits, five earned runs, walked two and struck out seven to earn the win. Larson, Flagler's fifth pitcher of the day, retired all three batters he faced to earn the save.
Justin Ratte,
Chris Lake and
Kyle Schackne saw time in middle relief.
Andrew Brodbeck continued his red-hot weekend going 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored and he drove in a run this afternoon. He batted .778 in the series.
Skylar Fox and
Lorenzo Butler each hit doubles.
Frankie Sagarese scored two runs.
The Bearcats pounded out 15 hits and was led by Weston Lawing who collected three singles and scored a run. Hyatt hit two doubles, scored twice and he knocked in a run. Zach Giczewski, Lusignan and Matt White each singled twice. Thomas Berry hit a solo home run in the seventh.
Andrew Reardon (0-2) tossed three and two-thirds innings, surrendered six hits, allowed three earned runs, walked three and struck out four. He was victimized by a couple of errors which led to five unearned runs in the fourth inning.
Flagler returns to the field on Wednesday (Feb. 18) at 5 p.m. for a non-conference game against Edward Waters College at 5 p.m. at Drysdale Field.
