Due West, SC – Southern Wesleyan split the final two games of the series against the Erskine Flying Fleet. They dropped the first game of the day in a 5-4 final before taking game two in a 9-8 final.
The Warriors had seven hits in the first game of the day. Tristan Tillman and Samuel Simonds each had two hits in the game. Tillman doubled twice and Simonds had one double in the game. Perry Dyer hit a two-run home run. Southern Wesleyan walked twice and Nolan Evatt stole a base. Nick Gonsalves and Coleman Wylie each struck out two batters.
Southern Wesleyan had nine hits in their second game of the afternoon. Both Nolan Evatt and Ethan Shimmel had two hits in the game. Evatt, Samuel Simonds and Kade Bowling each doubled in the game. The Warriors walked three times, and Tristan Tillman, Evatt, Shimmel and Perry Dyer each stole bases. Gavin Chandler started the second game of the day on the mound and pitched 6.2 innings while striking out two batters. Luke Weldon and Lukas Arvantides each came in to pitch in relief. Arvantides struck out one batter to get the win.
Game Vitals
Game One Final: Erskine 5, Southern Wesleyan 4
Game Two Final: Southern Wesleyan 9, Erskine 8
Records: Southern Wesleyan (7-15) Erskine (9-15)
How It Happened
Game One
Southern Wesleyan struck first in the game as they brought four runs in to score in the top of the first inning. Tristan Tillman led off the inning by hitting a double to center field. Tillman came in to score as Nolan Evatt hit the ball up the middle for a single. Evatt stole second to get into scoring position. With two outs, Samuel Simonds hit a double to center field to bring Evatt in to score the Warriors second run of the game. Perry Dyer came up to the plate and drilled the ball over the wall on the third pitch he saw to put Southern Wesleyan on top 4-0.
Erskine answered in the bottom of the first inning as singles by Danny Villafane and Carson Yates allowed the Flying Fleet to tie the game up at four.
The game remained in a stalemate until the bottom of the seventh inning as, with two runners on base, Carson Yates hit a double to allow Jacob Platt to come in to score to give the Flying Fleet a 5-4 run victory.
Game Two
Erskine took the first run of the game in the third inning as back-to-back doubles by Pierce Radke and Ricky Dober brought two runs in to score. An error allow the Flying Fleet to bring in one more run to take a 3-0 run lead over the Warriors.
Southern Wesleyan chipped away at Erskine's lead in the fourth inning. Nolan Evatt hit a double to right field. Ethan Shimmel hit a single to bring Evatt in to score. Shimmel advanced to second on an error by first base. With a runner in scoring position, Samuel Simonds hit a double into right field to bring Shimmel in to score to put the Warriors within one run of the Flying Fleet. Kade Bowling walked. With two outs and two on base, Seth Pettett hit a single into right field to bring Simonds in to score to tie the game up.
The Warriors took the lead in the fifth inning. Tristan Tillman led off the inning with a walk and then stole second base. Nolan Evatt came up to bat and hit a double into right center field to bring Tillman in to score.
The Flying Fleet tied the game back up at four in the bottom of the sixth inning as Adrian Rolton hit a single up the middle to bring Danny Villafane across home plate.
Southern Wesleyan regained the lead in the seventh inning. Luke Taylor led off the inning by sending the ball up the middle for a single. Tristan Tillman was then hit by a pitch to put two runners on the base pads. With one out, Ethan Shimmel hit a single into left center field to bring Taylor in to score. Samuel Simonds hit a sacrifice fly out to center field to allow Tillman to come in to score. Shimmel came into score as Kade Bowling hit a double into right field to put the Warriors on top 7-4.
Erskine would not go down without a fight as they tied the game up once again in the bottom of the inning off a single by Danny Villafane and a double off the bat of Jack Luthren.
A single by Drew Potts in the bottom of the eighth inning allowed the Flying Fleet to take an 8-7 run lead.
The Warriors answered in the top of the ninth inning. Tristan Tillman hit a single up the middle and then advanced all the way to third base on a series of balks by the Flying Fleet pitching staff. Nolan Evatt was hit by a pitch and then stole second. Ethan Shimmel loaded up the bases as he was hit by a pitch. With the bases loaded and one out, Kade Bowling hit a sacrifice fly out to center field to bring Tillman in to score and put Evatt on third base. Shimmel stole second base. A wild pitch on ball four allowed Evatt to come in to score to give the Warriors a 9-8 victory over the Flying Fleet.
What's Next
Southern Wesleyan will host the Newberry Wolves on March 10 in a doubleheader. The Warriors will travel to Mount Olive, NC to take on the University of Mount Olive Trojans on March 13-14.
