ST. AUGUSTINE – Trailing 7-2 going into the bottom of the ninth inning, a bases clearing double by
Myles Colangelo pulled Flagler College to within a run. The Saints could not score the equalizer in a 7-6 loss to the University of South Carolina Aiken in a Peach Belt Conference baseball game Saturday afternoon at Drysdale Field.
USC Aiken snapped a five-game losing streak and improved to 11-17 overall and 4-7 in the Peach Belt. Flagler is now 15-13 overall and 8-3 in conference play.
The Saints got their leadoff man in the ninth on base via a walk. The next two Flagler batters were retired, then
Matthew Burke was hit by a pitch and
Trey Newland drew a walk to load the bases. That chased Pacer reliever Louie Smith (2-0) from the game. He was replaced by Dylan Wilhelm who hit the first batter he faced to force in the first run of the inning. Colangelo followed and hit the double off the left field wall to clear the bases. But Wilhelm settled down and struck out
Ashton Thomas to end the game.
The Pacers were fairly quiet until the ninth as well. They scored five runs on five hits and sent 10 men to the plate. Two of the runs in that inning came on well-placed bunts on squeeze plays. Jeff Cyr's two-run single proved to be the game-winning hit.
Cyr went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and three runs batted in for USC Aiken. Jackson Hannon had a pair of infield singles and scored a run.
Smith worked 1 1/3 innings in relief to pick up the win. He allowed three runs without giving up a hit. Smith walked two and hit a batter.
Colangelo hit a pair of doubles, drove in three runs and scored another.
Luke Welborn collected a pair of singles and scored a run while
John Fiorenza hit a pair of singles, scored a run, and knocked in a run. Newland went 2-for-4 with a double and he scored a run.
Dylan Faulkner (1-3) allowed five runs on five hits in two innings of work. He struck out four batters.
Seth Wysocki started and gave up two runs, one of which was earned, and surrendered four hits. He fanned five batters. Wysocki induced seven flyouts and eight more ground outs.
The same two teams play the rubber game tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Drysdale Field.
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