ST. AUGUSTINE – Flagler pounded out 24 hits and scored 16 runs in route to sweep of a pair of Peach Belt Conference baseball games from No. 14 (
Collegiate Baseball Division II Top 25) UNC Pembroke Saturday afternoon at Drysdale Field. The Saints won the opener, 5-3, and then took the second game, 11-3.
Flagler improved to 14-20 overall and 13-15 in the Peach Belt. UNC Pembroke has lost three games in a row and dropped to 27-9 overall and 23-6 in conference play. The Braves have already clinched the regular season conference title.
In the first game, the Saints took a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the sixth inning.
Chase Carney's bases loaded single bumped the Flagler lead to 2-0, and after
Jaiden Warde's sacrifice fly,
John Fiorenza blasted a two-run double down the left field line to give the Saints a 5-0 lead.
That was enough for starter
Kyle Morton (3-4) who scattered seven hits and allowed one run over eight innings of work. He struck out six batters.
Nick Phifer,
Jett Walsh, and
Noah Allen finished the game.
With the Saints leading 5-3 in the ninth with one out and runners at second and third, Allen induced a ground out and then got the next batter to fly out to end the game and secured his first save of the season.
Jake Kaufman went 2-for-3 with a double and one run batted in.
Adam Mitchell singled twice and Carney finished with a pair of singles, a run scored, and one run knocked in.
Bucky Bonynge (6-2) allowed five runs on nine hits in six innings for the Braves
Gage Hammonds collected two singles and Grant Elliott had two singles and one RBI.
In the second game, Flagler got a couple of two-run singles from Mitchell and Carney to key a five-run third inning and then rode the arm of Cole Mink (4-5) who tossed a complete game with a career-high 12 strikeouts.
The Saints also sent 10 men to the plate in a six-run sixth inning.
Myles Colangelo hit a two-run double, and Carney had another two-run single.
Mink scattered nine hits and allowed just three runs to score to earn the win. He tossed 175 pitches.
Donovan Garcia collected three singles and scored two runs for Flagler. Carney knocked in four runs with his two singles and scored a run. Mitchell's two singles produced three runs and he scored two more. He also stole three bases.
Darren Bowen (5-1) suffered his first loss of the season as he surrendered five runs on five hits in just 2 2/3 innings. He did fan six batters.
Hammonds and Spencer Faulkner each collected two singles and scored a run.
The same two teams meet tomorrow at 1 p.m. on "Senior Day" at Drysdale Field.
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