Junior left fielder Manny Williams had two hits, two stolen bases, and one RBI for the Knights but St. Andrews Presbyterian College’s late rally fell short as Anderson University held on for a 9-5 win in the Conference Carolinas baseball series finale Sunday afternoon at Clark Field.

Senior starter David Richardson tossed a complete-game to lead the Trojans, who improve to 9-18 overall and 5-9 in the conference.

The Knights, who maintain 4-21-1 overall and 3-11 league ledgers, were unable to complete the three-game series sweep after winning the first two games but SAPC did claim its first victorious conference series of the year.

Richardson (1-1) baffled the Knights batters early only allowing one hit over the first five innings before gutted out the final four innings for the complete game win. Richardson scattered eight hits and only allowed three earned runs while finishing with eight stikeouts.



In a game that started out as a pitcher’s duel between Richardson and Knights’ freshman Kyle Tate, senior Derrick Hipp knocked in the only run of the first five innings with a solo home run to lead off the third inning. Hipp’s round-tripper was his third of the season.

Anderson exploded for seven runs in the sixth inning to increase its lead to 8-0.

Manny Williams broke up Richardson’s shutout bid in the home half of the sixth using his speed. Williams, who singled, later stole third base and scored on the play when junior Michael Cantwell was caught in a run-down. Manny Williams drove in the Knights next run with a single in the eighth.

The Trojans tacked on more insurance run in the top of the ninth before the Knights attempted an improbable comeback attempt in their final at-bat. St. Andrews scored three runs in the last stanza with the help of two Anderson errors before Richardson recorded the final out with a groundout.

Senior Samson Williams extended his team-high hit streak to 11 games with a single to start the bottom of the ninth. Classmate Josh Axelsen followed with a base knock before Samson Williams scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman Daniel Oliver. Junior R.J. Blasi later plated Axelsen with a double and then scored the Knights final run on a dropped fly ball.



Tate (0-4) took the loss after being ruffed up in the sixth, allowing six runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 while striking out seven.



St. Andrews continues its season-long, nine-game home stand today, when the Knights host local rival UNC Pembroke at 2 p.m.

SAPC baseball edges Anderson in two day tilt

Senior Josh Axelsen produced a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth to break a late tie, leading the St. Andrews Presbyterian College baseball team to a 10-8 Conference Carolinas victory over Anderson University in a two-day affair that finished early Sunday afternoon.

Daylight saving time came one day too late as the two teams had to complete the middle game of the weekend series on Sunday as the contest was halted in the middle of the fourth inning due to darkness on Saturday. The Knights led by five, 7-2, overnight but the Trojans rallied to tie the game before Axelsen won the game for SAPC in the final frame.

Axelsen and junior Manny Williams led SAPC with two hits apiece and five combined RBI.

St. Andrews did not commit an error, marking only the second time this season that the Knights have fielded cleanly for a whole game in 25 tries (both wins).

Junior starter Jack Crawford was eligible for the win having tossed the first four innings but was unable to continue after the overnight delay and Anderson took advantage. Crawford allowed two runs on six hits while striking out five in the no-decision.



Junior Brett Campbell only allowed one hit and two runs (one earned) over 2 1/3 innings, but was tagged with the loss for Anderson.

Knights outslug Anderson in series opener

Freshman first baseman Daniel Oliver and junior catcher R.J. Blasi both hit solo home runs to highlight 17 hits by St. Andrews Presbyterian College in a 13-8 Conference Carolinas victory over Anderson University.

Six Knights had multiple base knocks and five different Knights drove in at least two runs as St. Andrews improved to 3-20-1 overall and 2-10 in the conference. The Trojans dipped to 8-17 and 4-8 after stranding 10 runners on base.

Blasi bashed his second home run of the season to leadoff the fifth and Oliver crushed a solo homer to start the seventh. Blasi finished with two hits, three runs, and two RBI while Oliver had two extra-base hits, scored twice, and drove in a pair of runs.

The top of the Knights order played havoc to the Trojans five pitchers that took the mound as junior leadoff batter Manny Williams was a perfect 4-for-4 and junior second-hole hitter Michael Cantwell was 3-for-3. Manny Williams scored three times and reached base in all five trips to the plate. Cantwell drove in a game-high three runs and scored twice.



Four Knights knocked in two runs including Oliver, Blasi, Michael Ficarro, and senior Josh Axelsen.



Oliver and senior Samson Williams both extended their current hit streaks to nine games while Cantwell increases his hit streak to seven games.

Knights’ freshman John Allen Renn picked up his first collegiate win in 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief of sophomore starter Tyler Tuttle, who had a game-high eight strikeouts. Tuttle only went four innings, one inning shy off the required minimum for a starter to get a win in a nine-inning game. Renn (1-0) and senior David Carbonell, who closed out the game not allowing an earned run, both had two strikeouts.