ST. AUGUSTINE – The University of North Carolina at Pembroke continued on its hot streak with a doubleheader sweep of Flagler College, 11-5 and 9-6, in Peach Belt Conference baseball action on Saturday, on "Senior Day," at Drysdale Field.
UNC Pembroke extended its winning streak to nine games and improved to 30-11 overall and 13-8 in the Peach Belt. Flagler fell to 25-19 overall and 12-9 in conference play.
In between games, Flagler honored its 12 seniors:
Igor Baez,
Bobby Bassler,
Lorenzo Butler,
Jordan Doyle,
Dustin Dye,
Jake Hathaway,
Dylan Jones,
MacLain Larson,
Michael Maiocco,
Cole Ondrejka,
Josh Pagliei and
Jeremy Taylor.
The Braves opened the first game with a four-run first inning, but the Saints rallied with three in the second. Hathaway belted a three-run homer to right field to account for the scoring in the inning. A run-scoring single by Baez in the third knotted the game at 4-all.
UNCP broke up a 5-all tie with a two-run sixth inning. Stibel Aleman Saba drove in two runs with a single into right field.
The Braves added two more runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
Hayden Buffkin (1-0) picked up the win in relief for UNCP. He tossed one-third of an inning, allowed one hit and he walked a batter.
Nick Debo went 3-for-5 with a home run, three runs batted in and he scored three runs. Roberto Rivera collected three singles and scored two runs. Ethan Baucom singled twice and scored a pair of runs.
Luke Cooksey (3-2) took the loss in relief for the Saints. He tossed five innings and surrendered eight hits as well as five runs. Cooksey fanned four.
In the nightcap, UNC Pembroke erupted for eight runs in the first two innings and held on for a 9-6 win.
Debo led off the third inning with a home run to center field and later, a River Ryan single drove in Beaver to give the Braves a 7-0 lead. A Luke Jackson RBI single increased the lead to 8-0.
Trailing 9-1 in the bottom of the fourth, Flagler was able to plate three runs. Butler drove home a run with a single.
The Saints added two unearned runs in the fifth to cut the deficit to 9-6. However, Flagler could not get any closer as the UNCP bullpen retired 12-of-the-last-13 hitters after allowing a lead-off single in the sixth to
Ethan Crout.
Kyle Ramsey (4-2) earned the win in relief for the Braves. He tossed four innings, allowed four hits and two unearned runs. He struck out three batters.
Jackson went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI. Beaver collected two singles and scored three runs.
Cooper Wallace (6-2) lasted 2 2/3 innings and surrendered eight runs on eight hits.
Nick Martinez and
Ethan Jones also saw action on the hill.
Crout went 3-for-4 with a double and he drove in a run. Hathaway singled twice and scored two runs. Butler finished with a pair of singles and two RBI. Bassler went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and he scored two runs.
Flagler travels to Daytona Beach on Tuesday (April 18) to take on Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at 6 p.m.