FLORENCE, S.C. – Flagler College rallied from an 8-0 deficit, but lost 12-9 in 11 innings on a walk-off home run by Francis Marion University's Nick Pappas in the first game of a three-game weekend Peach Belt Conference baseball series Friday night at Sparrow Stadium.
Francis Marion improved to 7-2 overall and 4-0 in the Peach Belt. Flagler fell to 5-4 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
The Saints used a six-run sixth inning to get back into a contest they trailed 8-0.
Austin Davis hit a two-run single down the left field line to cut the deficit to 8-3. With runners at first and second and nobody out,
Steven DiPuglia dropped down a bunt single and then a throwing error by Evan Flynn allowed all of the runners to move up a base.
Sean Lawlor scored on the miscue. Back-to-back RBI singles by
Dillon Reed and
Frankie Martello, off reliever Ethan Meece, scored the fifth and sixth runs.
Jason Moore greeted the second Patriot reliever, Warren Specht, with a solo home run to left field. Later, Reed drove in a pair of runs off the third Francis Marion reliever, Patrick Orlando. That gave the Saints a 9-8 lead.
The Patriots tied the game in the bottom of the ninth. Cole Hinnant hit a lead-off double and scored on Gage Taylor's single to left-center.
Flagler had runners in scoring position in the 10
th and 1th innings, but could not drive them home.
Ethan Jones (0-1), working in his second inning in relief, walked the lead-off hitter, Patrick Jackson. He was sacrificed over to second and the next batter was walked intentionally. After swinging and missing at the first pitch, Pappas belted a home run to left-center to end the game.
Christian Umphlett (1-0) pitched four scoreless innings in relief to earn the win. He scattered three hits and fanned four.
Hinnant paced the 15-hit attack going 4-for-4 with two doubles and he scored three runs. Taylor finished 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored, and six runs batted in.
Jones tossed 1 1/3 innings in relief and took the loss. He allowed the one hit and walked three batters.
Davis led Flagler's 16-hit attack with four singles, two runs scored, and two RBI. Moore went 3-for-6 with a home run and two runs scored. Reed collected two singles and drove in three runs.
The same two teams will meet tomorrow at 2 p.m.
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