Falcons, Virginia State Split CIAA Baseball Doubleheader

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ETTRICK, Va. – Jason Baytop (Jr./Manchester, MD) knocked in three runs for Saint Augustine's University in a 5-2 victory over Virginia State University in Game One of a CIAA Baseball Doubleheader at Whaley Colbert Field on Sunday, April 12, 2015. The Falcons lost the second game 5-1.

Both the Falcons and Virginia State are tied for third in the CIAA standings at 4-4. The Falcons are 14-20 overall and the Trojans are 18-10 overall.

Baytop went 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run, three RBIs and one run scored in the first game for the Falcons, who tallied eight hits. Sterling James (Sr./New Castle, DE) and Darryl Washington-Hardy (Sr./River Grove, IL) each had an RBI.

The Falcons scored all of their runs in the first two innings. Baytop put the Falcons on the scoreboard with a two-run home run in the first inning which scored Roberto Rivera (Fr./Millville, NJ).

The Falcons added three runs in the second inning for a 5-0 lead. Washington-Hardy scored Alexis Garcia (Maracaibo, Venezuela) on a single, and Tyson McDonald (Jr./Magee, MS) scored when James was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Baytop scored Washington-Hardy on a sacrifice fly.

The Falcons gave starting pitcher Philip Hathcock (Jr./Apex, NC) plenty of run support. He held the Trojans to two runs in the fifth inning to gain the pitching victory. Hathcock scattered five hits, recorded six strikeouts and walked two in six innings.

Sean Brassington (Sr./Raleigh, NC) of the Falcons entered the seventh inning with men on first and second and no outs, but he retired the side to get the save. Zachary Jordan of the Trojans was the losing pitcher after pitching seven complete innings.

In the second game, the Falcons fell behind 5-0 before scoring their only run in the sixth inning. Garcia scored Carey Cheek (Jr./Baltimore, MD) on a double.

The pitching duo of starter Jeremy Sandifer (Sr./Virginia Beach, VA) and reliever Brandon Pearson (Fr./Riverside, GA) combined to allow only five hits in six innings, but the Falcons finished with four hits. Nick Christopher of the Trojans was the winning pitcher after pitching seven complete innings. He also hit a two-run homer and scored twice.

The Falcons will host four-time defending CIAA champion Winston-Salem State University in a big CIAA four-game weekend series in Cary, N.C., on Saturday, April 18, and Sunday, April 19. The games will begin at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. both days at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.

Print Friendly Version