PEMBROKE, N.C. – No. 24 (
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Top 30) University of North Carolina Pembroke used a four-run third inning, with the help of back-to-back home runs, to rally past Flagler College 14-9 in a Peach Belt Conference baseball game Sunday at Sammy Cox Field.
UNC Pembroke extended its winning streak to five games and improved to 33-12 overall and 14-12 in the Peach Belt. Flagler fell to 29-18 overall and 15-12 in conference play.
The Saints took a 3-2 lead in the second inning when
Dillon Reed's single up the middle scored
Ethan Crout from second base.
The Braves answered an inning later as Luke Jackson blasted a three-run home run and Seth Hartings followed with a solo shot to give UNCP a 6-3 lead. The Braves hit five home runs in the game.
Flagler trimmed the deficit to a run with a two-run fifth, but UNC Pembroke got a run back in the home half of the inning.
The Braves lead swelled to four (9-5) after a sacrifice fly and Hartings' second home run of the game, another solo shot.
Frankie Martello brought the Saints back to within a run (9-8) with a three-run shot to left field in the eighth.
Once again, the Braves had the answer as they scored five times in the bottom of the inning. Trey Jacobs hit a two-run triple to left-center and Jackson followed with a two-run home run, his second homer of the game, to extend the lead to 14-8.
Flagler was able to put up one run in the top of the ninth on
Aaron Anderson's single to center, but UNCP reliever Gunner Deal got
Sam Carpenter to fly out to left field to end the game.
Thomas DuRant (1-0) got the win in relief for the Braves. He tossed an inning and two-thirds and allowed two runs on two hits.
Hartings paced the 19-hit attack going 4-for-5 with the two solo home runs. Jackson went 3-for-4 with two home runs and seven runs batted in. Trevor Clemons added three singles and scored two runs.
Ryan Ashworth (4-6) took the loss on the hill as he tossed six-plus innings. He allowed eight runs on 11 hits.
Nick Martinez worked the last two innings and surrendered six runs on six hits.
Martello went 2-for-5 with the home run and he knocked in a career-best five runs.
Jimmy Peck collected two singles and drove in a run. Crout and Reed each hit two singles. Crout scored a pair of runs while Reed scored once and had one RBI.
Flagler will break for finals week and then host the University of South Carolina Aiken in the final home series of the regular season starting with "Tim Barnwell Little League Night" on Friday at 6 p.m. at Drysdale Field.
