JACKSONVILLE –
Lorenzo Butler's two-run double keyed No. 11 (
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Top 30) Flagler's College's three-run fifth inning in a 5-2 win over Trinity Baptist College in a non-conference baseball game Tuesday afternoon at the Trinity Ballyard.
Flagler won its sixth game in a row and improved to 18-2 overall. Trinity Baptist fell to 7-10. The Saints won all three games against the first-year Eagles.
The Eagles got on the board first, scoring a single tally in the third.
Kyle Schackne, the Saints' second pitcher of the day, struck out the first batter he faced, but then gave up a single to Quirino Esquivel. However, Esquivel erased himself off of the base paths when he was caught trying to steal second base. John Shiver followed by serving a two-out single to right-center. He stole second then moved to third on a wild pitch. Shiver then scored a little later on another wild pitch.
Flagler wasted little time in answering.
Andrew Brodbeck led off the fourth inning and reached first when he was hit by a pitch. Brodbeck promptly stole second and scored on Butler's single to center.
In the fifth,
Bryce Evans drew a one-out walk. He went to second when Trinity Baptist catcher Cody Ragland threw the ball away to first on a pickoff attempt. Evans went to third on a fly ball and then scored on a wild pitch by Eagles starter Michael Cohick.
Nick Oberg ripped a double to left-center and Brodbeck coaxed a walk which spelled the end of the day for Cohick. A double steal moved the Flagler runners up a base and Butler greeted reliever Matt Carter with the two-run double to Flagler a 4-1 lead.
Esquivel hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth for the final tally for Trinity Baptist.
Sam Komel came off the bench to hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
Chris Dious (1-0) retired all three batters he faced in the fourth inning to pick up his first collegiate win. Today was his first appearance of the season.
Chris Lake, Flagler's seventh pitcher of the day, pitched a perfect ninth to earn his first save of the season.
Butler went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs batted in. Oberg and Brodbeck each hit a double for the Saints. Brodbeck stole three bases.
Cohick tossed 4.2 innings before running out of gas. He scattered three hits, allowed four runs, walked three and struck out five. Cohick tossed 92 pitches.
Esquivel singled and homered while Shiver collected two singles.
Flagler hosts Young Harris College in a Peach Belt Conference series this weekend, starting with a doubleheader on Saturday (March 14) at 1 p.m.
