LAURINBURG — The St. Andrews University baseball team squeaked out a quality 9-8 win over Div. II foe Pfeiffer University to complete their homestand on Tuesday.
St. Andrews got out to a 2-0 lead early and managed to score two runs in three consecutive innings. The Knights consistent hitting allowed them to take a 6-4 lead heading into the seventh inning. The teams traded three runs in the eighth inning, with the Knights holding onto a 9-7 lead.
The Knights are now 10-2 in games they score at least eight runs. while St. Andrews, overall, has scored at least 8 runs in eight of their last nine games.
Junior reliever Zach Saylor closed out the game to pick up his first save with two scoreless innings that included a walk and two strikeouts.
Senior Trey Byrd led the Knights offensively in the game going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Byrd is now hitting .411 on the year as he is riding a five-game hitting streak. Senior shortstop Tiger Miller extended his 12-game hit streak and is now hitting .391 on the year.
Senior Justin Williams drove in two runs off his third home run of the season in the third inning. Outfielders Lee Poteat, Ryne Dickens, and Terrence Jackson all recorded hits while Poteat and Dickens had run-scoring doubles. Jackson, Dickens, and courtesy runner Dean Pulley scored two runs as well. Poteat continues to lead the team with a .448 average as he has now recorded a hit in 18 of 20 games this season.
Freshman starter Davis O’Brien (2-1) threw six quality innings allowing four runs off four hits to go along with a walk and four strikeouts. Freshman reliever Luke Nichols (1-1) got the win in relief tossing one inning allowing three runs off four hits.
St. Andrews improves to 12-8 on the season with their fifth straight win. The Knights will open up conference play on Friday at 3:30 p.m. with a game at Bryan College in Tenn.
Lady Knights softball rolls past Shaw
RALEIGH — The St. Andrews University Softball team faced Div. II foe Shaw University on the road Tuesday and cruised to back-to-back 6-1 wins.
Game 1: SAU 6, Shaw 1
Lady Knights’ freshmen pitchers S.K. Brown (1-1) and Brennan Broadaway held Shaw to just one run off four hits over the course of seven innings. Brown threw four and 2/3 innings allowing one run off three with a walk and three strikeouts. Broadaway finished the final two innings for the Lady Knights allowing just one hit and recording a strikeout.
St. Andrews took a 3-0 lead into the fourth inning before Shaw cut it by two. The Lady Knights tacked on three more in the final two innings to close out the game outhitting the Lady Bears, 8-4.
Carrying the St. Andrews offense was senior catcher Brooke Sikes who went 2-for-3 driving in two runs. Sophomore outfielder Reina Mondragon also had a multi-hit game driving in a run with her double.
Game Two: SAU 6, Shaw 1
Freshman pitcher Brennan Broadaway (3-4) started the second game for the Lady Knights throwing four shutout innings allowing three hits, two walks and a strikeout. S.K. Brown finished the final two innings allowing one run off three hits with two walks and a strikeout.
St. Andrews scored runs in five of the game’s six innings before play was stopped due to darkness.
The Lady Knights outhit the Lady Bears 11-6 led by eight different players registering a hit. Broadaway, and senior infielders Kori Ballard and Hayley Volpert all had a multi-hit game.
Ballard and senior outfielder Mekayla Valentine led with doubles while freshman outfielder Asucena Trujillo drove in two runs with a single and a sacrifice fly.
St. Andrews improves to 8-10 on the year while Shaw falls to 1-9.
The Lady Knights hosted UNC-Pembroke on Wednesday in a double header.