ST. AUGUSTINE – Flagler College won in walk-off fashion in the first game and then cruised to victory in the second game to complete a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader sweep of Claflin University, 5-4 and 12-2, Thursday afternoon at Drysdale Field.
Flagler improved to 12-20 overall and 11-15 in the Peach Belt. Claflin concluded its season with a 3-29 overall record as well as conference record.
In the first game, Flagler trailed 4-3 going into the bottom of the ninth.
John Fiorenza belted a one-out double off the base of the right-center field wall and came around to score on
Donovan Garcia's single to right to tie the score. A wild pitch moved Garcia up to second and
Adam Mitchell laced a single to right-center allowing Garcia to score ending the game.
Zach Audet (1-4) went the distance and allowed two earned runs on seven hits. He fanned a career-best nine batters. After giving up a run-scoring double in the first inning, Audet retired the next 14-of-16 batters, including seven in a row.
Garcia collected two singles, scored two runs, and had two runs batted in.
Ashton Thomas went 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI while
Myles Colangelo had a pair of singles.
Kyle Hawkins (0-2) took the loss in relief. He surrendered two runs on five hits in two innings of work.
Gerardric Dobbs went 2-for-4 with a double, one run scored, and one RBI. Mackenzie Gay drove in a pair of runs for the Panthers.
In game two,
Nathan Henderson (1-1) tied his career-high with 10 strikeouts and go plenty of support. He retired the first eight batters he faced and went four complete innings without allowing a hit.
The Saints erupted for four runs in the second to take a commanding 5-0 lead.
Jake Kaufman had an RBI single and Garcia followed with a two-run double.
Flagler added four more runs in the fifth and sixth innings and held Claflin to one run in the seventh to invoke the 10-run rule.
Garcia went 2-for-3 with a double, a triple, two RBI, and he scored to runs. Thomas hit a pair of doubles, scored two runs, and drove in another. Kaufman singled twice, scored a run, and knocked in one.
Matthew Burke went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored, and two RBI.
Henderson tossed 6 2/3 innings, scattered four hits, and allowed two runs.
Noah Allen retired the only batter he faced.
Charles Jackson (0-6) gave up four runs on just two hits but issued five walks in his two innings.
Christian Carr collected two singles and drove in a run for Claflin.
Flagler hosts No. 14 UNC Pembroke on Saturday in a 1 p.m. doubleheader to open the final homestand of the season.
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