ST. AUGUSTINE – Flagler College rallied from a 5-0 deficit to take a 6-5 lead only to have Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University score five times in the ninth inning to win 10-6 in a non-conference baseball game Tuesday night at Drysdale Field.
Embry-Riddle improved to 15-17 overall while Flagler slipped to 16-19.
The Eagles scored five runs in the fifth and the Saints chipped away with two runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh to climb back into the game.
Trailing 5-3 in the eighth,
Ashton Thomas led off with a single and
John Fiorenza drew a walk off Embry-Riddle reliever Tyler Stufano. Joe Balsam (3-0) replaced Stufano. He fielded a bunt from
Jaiden Warde and tried to get the force out at third, which was too late.
Tyler Keith followed with a two-run single through the right side and the game was tied.
Coy Phillips hit a dribbler to shortstop, but Kevin Vittoria elected to get Phillips at first instead of throwing home to get Warde, who scored from third base with the go-ahead run.
But in the ninth, Josh Reynolds belted a grand slam to the left of the batter's eye in center field to give the Eagles a 10-6 lead.
Balsam, who pitched a shaky eighth inning, hit a batter in the ninth, but retired the other three batters to earn the win.
Robert Post finished with a pair of singles, walked twice, scored a run and had three runs batted in.
Anthony Nofi (2-2) took the loss in relief for the Saints. He allowed four runs on two hits in 3 2/3 innings. Nofi walked five batters and struck out four.
Ryan Franklin started and lasted 4 2/3 innings.
Steven Reiss,
Kenny Morgan and
Nick Phifer pitched in relief.
Keith finished with a pair of singles and he drove in two runs.
Matthew Burke collected a pair of singles.
The start of the game was delayed an hour and a half due to lightning and rain.
Flagler heads to Greenwood, South Carolina to face Lander University in a three-game Peach Belt Conference series this weekend. The series starts on Friday at 6 p.m.
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