Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 CARY, N.C. – Saint Augustine's University relied on solid pitching and timely hitting to sweep Bluefield State College 3-2 in the first game and 12-4 in the second game of a non-conference baseball doubleheader at the USA Baseball National Training Complex on Saturday, March 7, 2015.
Both teams were scheduled to play another doubleheader Sunday, March 8, in Cary, N.C., but the twinbill was canceled. The Falcons visit Paine College in a doubleheader Tuesday, March 10, in Augusta, Ga. Game times are 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
On Saturday, the Falcons allowed one earned run and totaled 15 hits in both games combined. They tallied 10 hits in the second game.
Desmond Cheek (Sr./Franklinville, NC) earned the win in the first contest to even his record at 2-2. He tossed a three-hitter with eight strikeouts, three walks and one earned run in six and one-third innings. Bryan Rivera (Sr./Cidra, Puerto Rico) recorded the save in two-third innings of work. Philip Hathcock (Sr./Apex, NC) gained the victory in the second game to improve to 1-1 as a pitcher. Jeremy Sandifer (Sr./Virginia Beach, VA) picked up the save as both pitchers combined on a six-hitter in seven innings. Sandifer struck out eight batters and walked one while giving up two hits and no runs in the final four innings. The Falcons edged Bluefield State in the first game behind back-to-back RBI triples from Jason Baytop (Jr./Manchester, MD) and Roberto Rivera (Fr./Millville, NJ). Timothy Carter (So./Lumberton, NC) was 2-for-3 for the Falcons in the same contest. Sterling James (Sr./New Castle, DE) and Alexis Garcia (Maracaibo, Venezuela) keyed the rout in the second contest with five RBIs and three RBIs, respectively. James was 2-for-3 with one run scored and William Thomas (Jr./Yorktown, VA) was 2-for-2 with two RBIs and three runs scored in the second game. Baytop was 2-for-2 with three runs scored and Darryl Washington-Hardy (Sr./River Grove, IL) was 2-for-2 with an RBI. In the first game, the Falcons led 2-0 in the third inning when Baytop tripled home Garcia and scored on Roberto Rivera's triple. Baytop is among the NCAA Division II leaders in triples. Bluefield State scored one run in the fourth inning, but James scored on a passed ball in the sixth inning for a 3-1 Falcons' lead. With one out in the seventh inning, Bluefield State tripled to score one run but the Falcons threw out the potential game-tying run at the plate on the same play. Thomas, the first baseman, caught the relay throw from James in right field and threw to catcher Washington-Hardy, who tagged out the runner at the plate. A Bluefield State groundout gave the Falcons the win.
The Falcons jumped on Bluefield State early and coasted to victory in the second game. James started a five-run rally in the first inning when his single scored Baytop. Thomas hit a two-RBI single to score James and Carter, and Washington-Hardy doubled to score Carey Cheek (Jr./Baltimore, MD). Thomas scored on a sacrifice fly from Garcia for a 5-0 Falcons' lead. The lead stretched to 7-0 in the second inning when James' double-play groundout scored Darrell Langston (Fr./Chicago, IL) and Baytop. Bluefield State scored four runs in the third inning to close the gap to 7-4, but the Falcons responded with one run in the third inning, one run in the fourth inning and three runs in the fifth inning for the final score. A sacrifice fly by Garcia scored Thomas in the third inning and James smacked a sacrifice fly to score Baytop in the fourth inning. In the fifth inning, Garcia hit his third sacrifice fly to score Thomas. Joshua Bumgardner (Fr./Durham, NC) scored when Corey Brassington (So./Raleigh, NC) was walked with the bases loaded. James singled to score Langston for the final run.
