BELMONT, N.C. — Armstrong Atlantic State scored six runs over the first three innings to pick up a 7-5 non-conference victory over host Belmont Abbey on Tuesday afternoon at Abbey Yard.
The win halted a six-game losing streak for the Pirates (16-14), while Belmont Abbey (13-23) saw its current slide reach four games.
Armstrong jumped out to the 6-0 lead over the first three innings thanks to a first-inning double steal by Tyler Avera and Cody Sherlin; a two-run triple in the second inning by Sherlin and a crucial error by the Crusaders that brought home three runs in the third inning.
Belmont Abbey closed the gap to just one run with three runs in the sixth inning and a two-run home run by Weston Clarke in the seventh inning, but Armstrong plated a key insurance run in the eighth inning on Ryan Patterson’s RBI double.
Tyler Green pitched the final 2 2/3 innings of the contest for the Pirates, giving up four hits and no runs, walking one and striking out one to notch his first save of the season. Justin Adkins (3-0) hurled three innings of four-hit shutout ball, walking one while striking out three to earn the win.
Sherlin went 3 for 4 with two RBIs to pace the Pirates offensively. Patterson went 2 for 5 with two RBIs and R.J. Dennard went 2 for 5.
SAVANNAH STATE 7,
CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 5
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Kevin Herlihy hit a two-run double in the top of the ninth inning as Savannah State downed Charleston Southern at CSU Ballpark.
The teams entered the ninth tied 5-5. Brian Miller doubled, Jenkins High graduate Hector Benitez singled and Todd Hagen was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Herlihy.
Savannah State jumped out to a 4-2 lead after two innings but Charleston scored twice in the fourth to tie it, and the teams matched single runs in the seventh.
Hagen led the Tigers (11-18) at the plate, going 3 for 3 with an RBI. Benitez also collected three hits and scored three runs. Mike McHugh added two hits for the Tigers.
Herlihy’s game-winning hit also made a winner out of reliever Eric Ricks, the fourth SSU pitcher used in the game. A former Jenkins star, Ricks (3-3) went two innings, gave up two hits, one walk and struck out two.
Bobby Ison and Andrew Widell had two hits each for CSU (16-15).
GEORGIA SOUTHERN 13,
JACKSONVILLE 5
STATESBORO — The Georgia Southern Eagles tallied 19 hits as they rolled over Jacksonville at J.I. Clements Stadium.
Georgia Southern (21-9) jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning after Ryan Cleveland beat out a dribbler down the third base line to plate Kody Adams. Five straight hits followed Cleveland’s hustle play and Aaron Palmer capped the inning with a RBI single.
Will Jackson tossed three innings and allowed just two runs in the second inning to earn his first victory as an Eagle. Jackson (1-0) struck out three batters and allowed two hits in his first start of the season.
GSU nearly tallied 20 hits for the third time this season, and Adams, who finished with three hits, was a home run short of hitting for the cycle. Adams was one of three Eagles with three hits in the game. Aaron Mizell snapped a 0 for 13 slide with a single in the fifth inning and finished two for six with a RBI.