LAURINBURG — The St. Andrews Knights baseball team won two games of its three-gamer at Clark Field against the Johnson Royals over the weekend.
Johnson (18-19, 9-15 Appalachian Athletic Conference) had its one win come in a 6-1 result in game one; St. Andrews (23-16, 10-12 AAC) took the other two 5-3 in seven innings and 4-1.
In the series-deciding game three on Sunday, the Knights scored a run in the first and third frames and two in the seventh; Johnson’s one score was in the sixth.
Jude Drzemiecki finished with two hits with one RBI for St. Andrews; Brycen Seymore had a two-run homer; Caden Santucci had a double with an RBI and Cesar Morillo and Will Benjamin each had two hits.
Josh Hill and Ryan Cleary threw a combined no-hitter in the win; Hill was credited with the win and Cleary got the save.
Johnson’s Nolan Cusey finished with an RBI; Colby Reynolds suffered the loss in 2 2/3 innings pitched.
In game one of two on Saturday, Johnson scored twice in the second and each team put one up in the third; the Royals added to their lead with two in the sixth and one in the eighth, though, to run away with the victory.
Cusey had three hits with two RBIs for Johnson; Bryson Shown had a two-run home run, along with a single; Blaise Blancher had an RBI and Brayden Taylor had a single and a double.
Nathan Hoffman threw all nine innings, allowing six hits with seven strikeouts and only one walk to pick up the win.
Drzemiecki had one hit and an RBI for the Knights; Bryson Bebber and Morillo had two hits each.
Josiah Barhite came away with the loss after allowing five earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks in six innings of work for St. Andrews.
Both teams scored three runs to open up game two of the series before St. Andrews tacked on two more in the second, which was enough to prevail.
Isaiah Martin had a double with three RBIs for St. Andrews; Drzemiecki had a double and two RBIs and Samuel Rosario had two hits.
Noah Sorrells tossed a complete game, allowing nine hits with five strikeouts for the win.
Shown had a double with an RBI for Johnson; Brayden Taylor had a single and a double; Travis Hobbensiefken had two hits and Cade Liefer had a double.
Taking the loss for the Royals was Austin Sykes, who allowed all five runs on six hits with six strikeouts and three walks across five innings.
Hill named AAC Pitcher of the Week
St. Andrews Knights pitcher Josh Hill received Appalachian Athletic Conference weekly laurels after being named the league’s Pitcher of the Week.
Hill, a sophomore from Clayton, tossed seven innings of no-hit ball as he and Ryan Cleary combined for a no-hitter in a 4-1 win over Johnson on Sunday; in the win, Hill finished allowing one unearned run on three walks with six strikeouts.
It is his first weekly honor this season.
Softball blanked in doubleheader against Tennessee Wesleyan
The St. Andrews Knights softball team was shut out in two five-inning games against visiting Tennessee Wesleyan on Saturday.
Tennessee Wesleyan (17-8, 14-4 Appalachian Athletic Conference) took game one 10-0 and game two 8-0.
St. Andrews fell to 7-35 overall and 2-20 in AAC play with the defeats.