LAURINBURG — It’s been a long and frustrating month for St. Andrews University’s baseball team.
The Knights are 2-8 in their last 10 games after losing 3-2 at home against Pfeiffer on Wednesday. Noah Lawson and J.R. Polak had one RBI apiece for the Knights, and Kris Allen scored a pair of runs.
St. Andrews head coach Andy Fox said inconsistency in all aspects of the game is hampering the Knights.
“We either hit and don’t pitch, pitch and don’t hit, or do both,” Fox said. “Can’t field ground balls, or can’t play defense.
“We haven’t played a complete baseball game since – I can’t remember when,” he added. “If we don’t do the little things right, we’re not going to be successful. Obviously we’re not doing the little things right.”
St. Andrews (17-14) committed seven errors on Wednesday. Two of Pfeiffer’s three runs were unearned.
The Knights scored the first run of the game in the first inning while Polak reached base on an error.
A fielding error by the Knights helped a Pfeiffer runner score from third base in the top of the third inning. In the bottom of the same frame, Lawson hit an RBI double to give St. Andrews a 2-1 lead.
Pfeiffer (16-4) tied the score at 2-all with an RBI single by Blake Winebarger in the seventh inning.
In the top of the ninth inning, Pfeiffer’s Kirby Lambert hit a leadoff triple. He went on to score the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by St. Andrews’ Charles Tortorici.
St. Andrews starting pitcher Michael Wright yielded four hits and four walks while logging two strikeouts in four innings on the mound.
“We’ve just got to refocus on fundamentals and doing everything the right way, and attention to detail,” Fox said.
“I take the blame. It’s up to me to get these guys ready to go and focused, and obviously they’re not.”
