DUE WEST, S.C. – The Coker baseball team suffered two big losses to Erskine College on Saturday in their Conference Carolinas doubleheader. The Fleet took home a 15-6 victory in game one and then pounded out a 13-0 win over the Cobras in game two.
GAME ONE
Coker (14-23, 6-12) got on the board early taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a two run double by Nick Fuoco (Palm Bay, Fla.). In the bottom of the second, Casey Winckowski would blast a two-run home run to right field to tie the game up. Chase Corn followed with a single and then scored on a double by Phillip Herring to give Erskine (24-12, 9-9) the lead. The Cobras would answer with a run in the top of the third and a run in the fourth to take a 4-3 lead. The Fleet offense would explode for four runs in the fifth to regain the lead 7-4.
Fico Kondla (Miami, Fla.) would hit a two out double in the sixth inning then score on a single by Chad Nader (Rock Hill, S.C.) to cut the lead to two runs. The Cobras would add another run in the seventh to make it a one run game, but Cameron Yost hit a two-run triple and Zach McCarthy added a two-run home run to make it an 11-6 game. The Fleet would add four more run in the eighth inning to round out the scoring.
Corn led the Fleet at the plate going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI’s, while Yost was 2-for-2 with a double, triple and two runs driven in. Andrew Guest (5-1) picked up the win allowing four runs on five hits and striking out seven in five and two-thirds innings of work. Kit Carter (2) picked up the save allowing one earned run on five hits in 3.1 innings of work.
Kondla led the Cobras going 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, while Tyler Witzel (Melbourne, Fla.) and Matt Ammons (Chester, S.C.) both added two hits. Sean Tracy (Farmingville, N.Y.) (2-6) took the loss allowing seven runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings of work.
GAME TWO
The Erskine offense picked up where it left off in game two, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning on a sacrifice fly by John Bolding and a run scoring double from Winckowski. The Fleet would go on to score 11 more runs over the next five innings to take the 13-0 victory.
Atlee Pearson (4-1) picked up the win with a dominating performance. He allowed just one hit in six innings and struck out seven. Brian Laznik, Zach Smith and Winckowski each had three hits to pace the Fleet offense. McCarthy, Bolding and Yost each added two hits as well.
Witzel had the lone hit for the Cobra offense, while Matt Long (Florence, S.C.) (1-3) took the loss allowing six runs on six hits in two innings of work.
The Cobras return to action on Tuesday at home against USC Beaufort. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.