WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Pinch hitter
Ethan Crout stepped to the plate in the top of the eighth with a runner on third base and hit a 1-1 pitch through the left side of the infield. That scored the eventual winning run and Flagler College hung on in the ninth for a 7-6 victory over Palm Beach Atlantic University in a non-conference baseball game at Rubin Park Friday night.
Flagler won its fifth game in a row and improved to 8-1 overall. Palm Beach Atlantic suffered its second consecutive loss and dropped to 5-4.
Jason Moore led off the top of the eighth to left-center off PBA reliever Christian Denton (1-1). A ground out to second base moved Moore to third and chased Denton. The Sailfish brought in Sam Shields while Flagler countered with Crout who was batting for third baseman
Jeremy Taylor.
Luke Cooksey came on to start the bottom of the eighth for Flagler. He stranded a runner at second base thanks to an inning ending double play, and then allowed a double to put runners at second and third with one out in the ninth. Cooksey would be bailed out by yet another inning ending double play. Andrew Calderone hit a grounder to
Josh Pagliei at shortstop, who made the play and got Calderone at first base. However, Eddie Vicinanza at second base, thought the ball had gotten by Pagliei and had started towards third, but then tried to get back to second base and was thrown out by Flagler first baseman
Igor Baez.
The Saints bunched their runs in two innings, getting three in the third and three more in the sixth.
Dylan Jones hit a two-run single in the sixth.
MacLain Larson (2-0) tossed 2 2/3 innings in relief, scattered five hits, allowed one earned run and fanned two. Cooksey earned his second save of the season.
Cooper Wallace started and last 4 1/3 innings.
Jake Hathaway went 4-for-5 with a double, one run scored and one run batted in. Jones collected a pair of singles, scored a run and drove in two.
Lorenzo Butler singled, doubled, scored a run and knocked in another. Moore finished with a pair of hits, including the double and his run was the go-ahead run.
Denton tossed 1 2/3 innings in relief. He allowed two hits and one run. Josh Turner started, but lasted just 2 1/3 innings and was followed by David Paul.
Ryan Johnson led the Sailfish with three hits, all singles, and he scored two runs. Vicinanza went 3-for-5 with two doubles and one RBI.
Palm Beach Atlantic stranded 12 runners on base and 13 of its 16 hits were singles. The Sailfish only had four hits on 18 at bats in RBI opportunities.
The same two teams meet tomorrow in a doubleheader starting at noon at Rubin Park.
