CARY, N.C. – Saint Augustine's University rode solid hitting and the pitching of Hector Pichardo (Fr./Dominican Republic) to trip William Peace University 5-1 in a nine-inning non-conference baseball game between neighboring schools at the USA Baseball National Training Complex on Wednesday, March 9, 2016.

Pichardo scattered seven hits in nine innings to get the pitching win. He struck out five batters and walked one.

Carey Cheek (Sr./Baltimore, MD) led the Falcons with two RBIs. Alexis Garcia (Jr./ Maracaibo, Venezuela) drove in one run and Corey Brassington (Jr./Raleigh, NC) knocked in one run and scored twice for the Falcons, who compiled eight hits on seven Peace pitchers. Will Cunningham was 2-for-3 with one RBI for Peace (7-11 overall).

Garcia cemented the victory for the Falcons with his RBI double in the top of the ninth inning. He drilled a shot to the left field corner which scored Cameron Lopez (Fr./Vineland, NJ) for a four-run lead. Lopez, who scored two runs, led off the inning with a double to left field.

The Falcons led throughout the game after scoring three runs in the second inning. Brassington opened the scoring with a single to center field which scored Darrell Langston (So./Chicago, IL), who was 2-for-4 at the plate. Brassington later scored on Cheek's RBI single to right field. Lopez stole home on a double steal for a 3-0 Falcons' lead.

Peace got on the scoreboard in the fifth inning on Cunningham's sacrifice fly, but Cheek hit an RBI single to left field in the seventh inning which scored Brassington. Garcia then padded the Falcons' lead in the ninth.

The Falcons (2-18 overall) enter CIAA play this weekend with a four-game home series against Lincoln (Pa.) University. The first doubleheader is set for Saturday, March 12, and the second doubleheader is scheduled for Sunday, March 13. The site is Lions Park in Raleigh, N.C., and the starting times are 1 p.m. and approximately 3 p.m.