ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – For the second consecutive day Flagler College held a 5-0 lead early only to see it dissolve away as Augusta University rallied for an 8-5 win Saturday afternoon at Drysdale Field on "Red" Cox Day.
Augusta improved to 21-12 overall and 13-5 in the Peach Belt. The Jaguars have won five games in a row at Drysdale Field. They swept the series in 2014. Flagler fell to 18-13 overall and 7-10 in conference play.
Flagler got started early, just like it did Friday night. The Saints sent eight men to the plate in the first inning and scored three runs on just two hits. Three walks and a couple of wild pitches by starter Joey Stillwell got him in trouble early, then back-to-back RBI singles by
Cole Ondrejka and
Nick Oberg sent Stillwell to the showers.
Igor Baez belted a two-run home run in the third to give the Saints a 5-0 lead.
But the Jaguars chipped away. Augusta struck for single tallies in the fourth and fifth innings, and then tied the game at 5-all with a three-run sixth inning.
Consecutive singles by Cole Thompson and Jamal Cumming loaded the bases in the sixth, which chased Flagler starter
Michael Maiocco.
Jeremy Graf entered the game and got a ground out which led to a force out at home plate. But two hit batters in a row led to two runs and the Jaguars trailed 5-4.
MacLain Larson came in to relieve Graf and got Clint Hardy to fly out to center field, but it was deep enough to allow all three runners to advance.
Tied at 5 in the top of the seventh, Drew Taylor hit a lead-off single to center and then took second on a sacrifice bunt. Three batters later, Nick Rau hit a double off the top of the left field fence to give Augusta its first lead.
The Jaguars added two more runs in the eighth for insurance.
Casey Lenoch (4-0) picked up the win in relief. He tossed 1.2 scoreless innings and allowed three hits. Frank Warren picked up his second save in as many days, and his fourth overall, after closing the final 1.1 innings. He only allowed one hit and struck out one batter.
Taylor led the Jaguars offense going 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Thompson added a pair of singles, scored a run and knocked in another. Tyler Roberts went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and he had one run batted in.
Larson (0-1) took the loss after pitching 1.1 innings. He allowed two hits, one run, walked one and struck out one. Maiocco tossed five-plus innings, allowed six hits and five runs. He walked one and struck out seven.
Oberg collected a pair of singles and had one RBI for the Saints.
Jabe Molinaro hit a pair of singles.
The same two teams meet in the finale of the three-game series tomorrow (April 3) at 1 p.m.
Thomas "T.J." Jackson received the "Red" Cox Award for his years of service to the St. Augustine community in a ceremony before the game today.
Lorenzo Butler received the "Red" Cox Scholarship and the VIP section of the grandstand was officially named in honor of the Wiles family.
