SAU Rallies to Take Series from SMC Baseball

Laurinburg, N.C. – St. Andrews University took the series finale on Sunday after the Spartanburg Methodist College baseball team secured a win in the resumption of Saturday's nightcap. SAU won the series finale by a 7-5 margin, while the Pioneers plated three runs in the top of the ninth to earn a 6-3 victory.

In the continuation of game two from Saturday's doubleheader, SMC broke a 3-3 tie by scoring three runs in the top of the ninth. Leo Lopez led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a balk, then moved to third on a wild pitch. Elijah Franz reached base on a walk and stole second, putting runners on second and third for the Pioneers.

With two runners in scoring position, Jarian Pinckney singled to right field, bringing home Lopez. Dario Astudillo followed with an RBI double, scoring Franz from third. The Knights recorded their first out of the inning, but SMC continued to add to its lead. Chance Greene drove in the Pioneers' third run of the inning with an RBI single. SAU then turned a double play to prevent further damage.

SMC held SAU scoreless in the bottom half of the inning to secure the 6-3 win.

The second game of the day saw SAU score four runs in the bottom of the seventh to claim a 7-5 victory. Justin Dawkins recorded two of the Pioneers' six hits, while Tyler Strickland came off the bench to drive in a pair of runs in the loss.

Both teams got on the board in the first inning, with the Pioneers taking a 1-0 lead when Matt Smith scored on a wild pitch. However, the Knights responded with a two-run home run in the bottom half of the inning to take the lead.

SMC tied the game in the third on an RBI double by Chance Greene. The back-and-forth contest continued as SAU evened the score again in the fifth. The Pioneers reclaimed the lead in the sixth when Strickland drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, putting SMC ahead 4-3.

Trailing 4-3, SAU responded with four runs on three hits in the bottom of the seventh to take the lead for good.

Next, SMC will have a rematch against Voorhees on Tuesday, March 11, in Denmark at 1 p.m. The Pioneers previously defeated the Tigers 18-1 on March 4 in Spartanburg.