ST. AUGUSTINE – No. 18 (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Top 30) Flagler College, playing its first home game in just over two weeks, held on to beat Valdosta State University 8-7 in a non-conference baseball Wednesday evening at Drysdale Field on "Ashley Daniel Remembrance Night."

Flagler improved to 24-7 overall and 7-3 in one-run games. Valdosta State fell to 19-12 overall and 2-5 in one-run games.

Flagler got to Valdosta State reliever Jared Stanley (5-2) in his second full inning (the sixth inning) of relief. After retiring the first batter, he hit Andrew Brodbeck with a pitch. Kolin McMillen followed with a single up the middle and then both runners executed a double-steal. Austin Glorius replaced Stanley on the hill and was immediately greeted by Lorenzo Butler with a two-run double to left center to give the Saints the lead back, 8-6.

That's all Flagler's fourth pitcher of the evening, Chris Lake (1-0), needed as he shut down the Blazers offense in his 3.1 innings of work. He allowed three hits and one run, but struck out a season-high four batters. Lake struck two-of-the-three batters out looking in the ninth.

The Saints got on the board early scoring two runs in the first and adding another in the second. Shawn Hendon had an RBI single in the first and Igor Baez, who hit two-out double in the second, scored on Brodbeck's single back up the middle to give Flagler a 3-0 lead.

The Blazers struck for a run in the third, but Flagler posted a three-run inning in the fourth to take a 6-1 lead. McMillen drew a bases loaded walk and then Butler belted a two-run double.

Things unraveled for the Saints in the fifth inning. Andrew Castello came on in relief and gave up a lead-off single to Mike Reed. He scored a couple of batters later when Hayden Jones singled to center. Kevin Cruz followed with a ringing single to left to plate another run and the Blazers had cut the deficit to 6-3. Nick Martinez came on to relieve Castello, but got off to a shaky start. The first pitch he threw to pinch hitter Bobby Rice was a base hit back up the middle allowing another run to score. Later, Ryan Smith drew a bases loaded walk and Brandon Harmon hit a sacrifice fly to left-center field to tie the game. Martinez got the next hitter to ground out.

Butler had a night going 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and four runs batted in. Brodbeck singled twice, scored two runs and drove in another while McMillen also collected two single, scored two runs and knocked in another. Hendon had a pair of base hits and one RBI.

Stanley allowed four hits and three runs in two innings of relief. Beau Blair started for the Blazers and tossed 3.1 innings and he surrendered seven hits and four earned runs.

Jones led the Valdosta State offense going 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and he scored a run while also driving in another. Bryant Hayman collected two singles and scored a run.

Flagler returns to Peach Belt Conference play this weekend as it travels to meet Georgia Regents University Augusta in a single game Friday (April 3) at 6 p.m. and then a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday (April 4).

NOTE: A portion of the funds from tonight's game went to support breast cancer research which claimed the life of Ashley Daniel in 2011.