Baseball edges Union in game three
BARBOURVILLE, Ky. — The St. Andrews University baseball team used quality pitching and timely hitting to edge conference contender, Union College (Ky.) 5-3 to salvage its weekend series. Union defeated the Knights 11-3 and 3-1 in the teams first two games on Saturday.
Game 1: Union 11, SAU 3
Union got off to a terrific start in game one scoring nine runs over the first three innings including seven runs in the second off Knights junior starter Landon Kincaid. Union totaled eight hits over two innings to knock Kincaid out of the game. Kincaid (3-4) allowed nine runs off eight hits with a walk.
Sophomore reliever Michael Wright threw two scoreless innings followed by Aaron Ayers who threw a scoreless frame.
Offensively, Terrence Jackson led the Knights with a solo home run as he went 3 for 3 with two RBIs. The senior is hitting .360 with a team-leading seven home runs and 40 RBIs.
Game 2: Union 3, SAU 1
In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, St. Andrews starter Trevor Maly (2-6) threw four innings allowing three runs, two earned, off five hits along with two walks and a strikeout.
Sophomore reliever Zach Mathes relieved Maly in the fifth and throwing the final five outs scoreless with two strikeouts.
The low-scoring game ended up going Union’s way as they scored a run apiece in the first and second innings with St. Andrews got one back in the fourth inning on a solo home run from junior Ryne Dickens.
Game 3: SAU 5, Union 3
St. Andrews got out to a good start scoring four runs in the top of the first to bat around and knock out Union’s starter. The big hits included a two-run single from freshman Mark Perkins and a two-run double from senior catcher Hunter Hackney.
After Union scored two runs in the third to cut the advantage to 4-2, St. Andrews pitching staff held the Bulldogs scoreless over the next five innings. The Knights added an insurance run in the seventh on an RBI double from senior Mikey Morgan that drove in fellow senior Tiger Miller.
St. Andrews was led by hits from seven different players with three driving in runs. Senior outfielder Terrence Jackson led the team with a two-hit game as he totaled seven hits on the week.
Sophomore pitcher Holden Drake (4-2) started the final game for the Knights throwing five innings allowing two runs off two hits with six walks and four strikeouts.
Junior reliever Zach Saylor then replaced Drake in the sixth. Saylor held Union scoreless until the ninth inning allowing one run off three hits with a walk and five strikeouts. Sophomore reliever Zach Mathes finished the game getting the final two outs with a double play to pick up his third save of the season.
St. Andrews improves to 17-23 on the season and 4-11 in the AAC while Union goes to 21-13 and 9-6 in the league.
The Knights travel to Greensboro today to play Greensboro College at 6 p.m. before returning home to host Montreat College on Friday.
Cumberlands ousts Lady Knights lacrosse
LAURINBURG — The St. Andrews University women’s lacrosse team kept up with No. 7 University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) on Senior Day before falling in the second half 15-5.
Cumberlands (8-5, 3-2 AAC) got out to a slim 4-2 lead at the break out shooting the Lady Knights 11-9 in the first half. St. Andrews used a goal from junior midfielder Allie Aycock to lead 1-0 early before Cumberlands went up 3-1. Senior midfielder Nikki Bass scored off a free position shot to trim Cumberlands’s lead to 3-2.
The second half had more scoring with the teams combining for 14 goals, but Cumberlands found its rhythm and rolled to the 10-goal win outscoring the Knights 11-3 in the half. St. Andrews kept the game interesting, keeping the deficit at one goal early in the second half courtesy of a goal from freshman attacker Tameria Richmond.
Cumberlands went on a 3-1 run to lead 7-4 with 25 minutes to play. Bass’s second goal brought the Knights within three, but St. Andrews couldn’t get any closer the rest of the way. Richmond thought she had scored her second goal near the end of the game but it was eventually waved off making the final score 15-5.
St. Andrews freshman goalie Erica Marlowe played well as she kept her squad in the game with multiple saves. She finished the day making 10 saves on 25 shots on goal while collecting two groundballs and causing a turnover.
Senior attacker Ale Bittelman scored a goal while fellow senior defender Tyreeka Johnson picked up three groundballs and forced two turnovers.
St. Andrews (1-5) will next be in action on Thursday against conference rival Columbia College (7-5) at 3 p.m. in its home finale.
Men’s volleyball outlasts Bryan
LAURINBURG — The St. Andrews University men’s volleyball team returned home to complete their regular season schedule hosting conference foe Bryan College (Tenn.) over the weekend. The Knights outlasted Bryan in three sets on Friday 29-27, 25-18, and 25-17.
SAU 3, Bryan 0
St. Andrews edged Bryan in the first set coming back from four points down to win the set in extra points 29-27 behind 16 kills and just four errors while hitting .364.
The Knights then blew open a competitive set by going on a 9-2 run to finish the match after Bryan had tied it at 16 to take it 25-18 behind 15 kills. SAU then led from start to finish in the third set to take it 25-17 on 14 kills while hitting .259.
Junior outside hitter Robin Imar led the Knights with 19 kills on just six errors to hit .382 along with eight digs, an ace and three solo blocks. Freshman setter Jackson Stark added 40 assists with five digs, two kills, and an ace.
Sophomore libero Carlos Rodriguez had a team-high 14 digs and three assists while freshman Jacob DeSouza added eight kills, three digs, and an ace.
Freshman middle blocker Nate Blackwell had double-digit kills for the first time this season with 11 on only one error as he led St. Andrews with a .588 hitting percentage. Fellow freshman Luke Armbruster added three kills and three solo blocks while Kurt Laurido contributed seven digs.
St. Andrews improves to 12-14 overall and 4-5 in the conference while Bryan fell to 2-12 overall and 2-7 in the conference.
The Knights will host conference foe Campbellsville University (Ky.) in their final game of the season on Saturday at 12 p.m.