PETERSBURG, Va. - All-CIAA pitcher Brandon Stewart (Sr./Riverdale, Ga.) hurled a three-hitter to earn his NCAA-leading 12th victory as Saint Augustine's College nipped Winston-Salem State 3-2 Thursday in the opening game of the 2011 CIAA Baseball Championships held on the campus of Virginia State.

 

The Falcons (35-16 overall), who are the defending CIAA champions, advance to the winner's bracket where they will play CIAA regular-season champion Chowan Friday at 11 am. The Falcons are 5-0 against WSSU (27-18) this season.

 

Stewart recorded eight strikeouts and four walks in nine innings to gain the victory. Brice Rivenbark of the Rams was the losing pitcher after pitching 4 2/3 innings in relief of starter Brandon Christ. 

The Falcons broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning when CIAA player of the year and NCAA Division II steals leader Rashad Ingram (Sr./Savannah, Ga.) singled to centerfield, stole two bases and scored on a throwing error. The Rams loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the eighth but Stewart forced a fly out to end the inning.

 

The Falcons scored two runs in the third inning to erase a 1-0 deficit. All-CIAA center fielder Joe Pierce (Sr./Wetumpka, Ala.) hit an RBI single to score All-CIAA player Chris Vette (Sr./Hampton, Va.),  and Pierce later scored on a passed ball. The Rams tied the game in the fifth inning before Ingram scored what turned out to be the game-winning run.

 

All-CIAA third baseman Alex Howard (Jr./Wilson, N.C.) was 2-for-4 at the plate and Pierce was 1-for-3 with the Falcons' only RBI. The Falcons had eight hits and committed four errors.

 

The trio of Ingram, Pierce and All-CIAA left fielder Wayne Lewis (Sr./Charlotte, N.C.) each had two stolen bases. All three players are among the top 10 nationally in stolen bases. The Rams committed two errors.