ST. AUGUSTINE –
Tyler Keith went 2-for-3 with a home run, three runs batted in and he scored two runs, but it wasn't enough as Flagler College lost to No. 6 (
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Top 30) Columbus State University 15-8 in the final regular season game Sunday afternoon at Drysdale Field.
Flagler closed the season with a 24-26 overall record and a 16-11 mark in the Peach Belt. The Saints will be the No. 5 seed in next weekend's PBC Tournament and will take on the No. 4 seed, which projects to be Young Harris College. The official bracket will be released later tonight. Columbus State finished the regular season with a 38-9 overall record and a 20-6 league record. The Cougars will be the No. 1 seed and is likely to face Lander University.
Both teams exchanged three-run second innings. Keith hit a two-run blast over the right field wall to tie the game.
A sacrifice fly in the third gave the Cougars the lead for good, 4-3.
Columbus State blew the game open with a five-run sixth. Robert Brooks hit a two-run triple, the only hit of the inning, off the batter's eye in center field and then scored on a Flagler error to give the Cougars a 9-3 lead.
However, the Saints answered with five runs of their own in the home-half of the inning. The first five Flagler batters reached base. Keith was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and
Zach Thomas drew a bases loaded walk to cut the deficit to 9-5.
Matthew Burke and
John Fiorenza followed with back-to-back RBI singles and Flagler trailed 9-8.
The Cougars added a run in the seventh and erupted for five more in the ninth. Steven Minter belted a three-run home run down the right field line and two batters later, Derek Wylie hit a two-run home run down the left field line.
Colton Joyner (8-1) scattered six hits and allowed three unearned runs in five innings to get the win. Leo Giannoni picked up his first save of the year after tossing the final 2 2/3 innings. He allowed one hit and fanned three.
Connor Kirley led the Cougars with four singles, a run scored, and one run driven in. Matthew McDade collected three singles, scored two runs, and knocked in another. Brooks finished 2-for-4 with a triple, three runs scored, and three RBI. Minter went 2-for-5 with a home run, three RBI, and he scored two runs.
Gabriel Partridge (4-5) allowed seven runs, four of which were earned, on six hits in five-plus innings of work. He was one of seven Flagler pitchers used.
Burke,
Jaiden Warde,
Ashton Thomas, and
Luke Welborn each hit two singles. Thomas scored a pair of runs.
Prior to the start of the game, Flagler head baseball coach Dave Barnett was honored for surpassing the 1,000-win milestone earlier this season.
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