ST. AUGUSTINE –
Payton Palladino's triple off the center field wall in the eighth inning scored the go-ahead run in Flagler College's 5-4 win over USC Aiken in a Peach Belt Conference baseball game Sunday afternoon at Drysdale Field.
The Saints swept the weekend series and improved to 11-14 overall and 5-4 in the Peach Belt. This was the first series sweep by Flagler against USC Aiken since the D2 era started in 2010. The Pacers lost their ninth game in a row and dropped to 7-19 overall and 3-6 in conference play. Flagler heads to Milledgeville, Georgia on Friday for a three-game series at Georgia College & State University.
Kevin RisCassi hit a two-out single to right field in the bottom of the eighth. Palladino followed by blasting a 2-1 pitch halfway up the crimson monster in center field, which caromed away from the Pacer outfielders, allowing RisCassi to score all the way from first and Palladino reach third. He was stranded there as the next batter was retired.
USC Aiken had runners at first and second in the top of the ninth, but Flagler reliever
Blake Pesante got a game-ending around the horn double play.
Trey Newland led the Saints going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and he scored two runs. Palladino went 2-for-4 with the triple and the run batted in.
Benjamin Stubbs (2-1) got the win in relief as he tossed 4.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Pesante recorded his second save of the year after closing the ninth.
Capers Molinaroli led the Pacers with a pair of singles and one RBI.
Kevin Cox (2-4) took the loss after allowing four earned runs on seven hits.
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