Franklin Springs, GA – The Emmanuel Baseball team hosted Erskine College in Conference Carolinas action this weekend. The Flying Fleet earned the 3-2 win in extras on Friday night to take a 1-0 lead in the series. The Lions would bounce back to go 2-0 on Saturday, winning game two, 11-8 and taking game three, 16-3 to earn a series win, 2-1. With the results, the Lions improve to 26-16 overall and 15-9 in conference play. 
 
GAME ONE – 
 
The Flying Fleet got on the board first in game one, scoring two runs on four hits in the top of the 2^nd. 
 
The score stayed that way until the bottom of the 5^th when the Lions answered back. Ryan Muniz reached on an error and advanced to 3^rd on an error. Jesus Cruz singled to third to advance Stroud to third. Stroud scored on a pop up to tie things up at 2-2. 
 
The score stayed that way until the 11^th inning when Erskine scored a run on two hits to take game one, 3-2.
 
Six Lions tallied a hit in the game.
 
On the mound, Barrett Barkley got the start, going 5.2 innings. He gave up two runs on seven hits and struck out eight batters. Simon Boggie came in next, going 2.1 innings and giving up one hit. He struck out three batters and walked one. Clifford Brown pitched less than an inning, facing three batters and walking one. Dosie Drakeford threw an inning, striking out two batters and walking two. Bubba Luke and Hunter Maddox each threw less than an inning, with Luke giving up one hit and Maddox striking out one batter. Lucas Meehan earned the loss, giving up one run on one hit, striking out two batters and walking two.
 
GAME TWO – 
 
Erskine got off to a quick start in game two, scoring two runs on three hits in the top of the first. The Lions responded well. Thomas Collins singled to start off the bottom of the first, and Brody Campbell followed that up with a single to right to advance Collins to 3^rd. Nick Dietsch singled to right to score Collins and cut the Fleet's lead to 2-1.
 
Erskine's bats were busy in the top of the 3^rd, scoring five runs on four hits to take a 7-1 lead. The Lions answered back to cut the lead to 7-2 on a double by Brock Wollin to score Collins. 
 
The Lions kept the comeback going in the bottom of the 4^th. Bailey Stroud singled to center and stole second. After Jesus Cruz walked, Collins singled to left to score Stroud, making the score 7-3, Erskine. Wollin kept things going with a single to left to score Collins and Cruz to bring the score to 7-5.
 
The Lions added a run in the bottom of the 5^th. Hayden Beall got things started with a double to center and Dobbs Bowden singled to left to bring him home, cutting the Fleet's lead to 7-6. 
 
The Lions kept things going in the bottom of the 6^th. Wollin got things rolling with a triple to right. After Campbell was intentionally walked, Dietsch was hit by a pitch. Beall was hit by a pitch to score Wollin and tie the game at 7. Ryan Muniz took advantage of a bases loaded situation with bases clearing double to make it 10-7, Lions. Bowden followed that up with a double of his own to score Muniz and give the Lions an 11-7 lead.
 
The Flying Fleet scored a run on one hit in the top of the 7^th to make it 11-8, which would be the final score.
 
At the plate, Brock Wollin was 3-4 with 3 RBI's. 
 
Hunter Pirkle got the start for the Lions, going 2.1 innings and giving up 6 runs on 6 hits. He struck out two batters. Hunter Maddox came in next, going 1.2 innings and giving up one run on two hits, striking out one batter. Chase Lupton earned the win, pitching 2 innings and giving up two hits. He struck out two batters. Simon Boggie got the save, pitching one inning and giving up one run on one hit. He struck out two batters. 
 
GAME THREE
 
The Lions bats stayed hot to start the off the first inning in game three. Thomas Collins got on base with a walk to start off the 1^st. Brock Wollin singled to center and Brody Campbell walked to load the bases. Hayden Beall singled to short to score Collins to give the Lions a 1-0 lead. Zachary Bergstrom kept things going with a single to left field to score Wollin, making it 2-0, Lions. Ryan Muniz reached on a fielder's choice, with Campbell getting thrown out at home. Dobbs Bowden singled to right, advancing to second on an error, scoring Bergstrom and Beall to make it 4-0, Lions. 
 
The Lions added to their lead in the bottom of the 2^nd. Collins got things started with a single. Beall reached on an error, and Collins scored on a failed pickoff attempt to make it 5-0, Lions. 
 
In the bottom of the 3^rd, Stroud singled to start things off. Jesus Cruz singled to center and Collins cleared the bases with a 3-run homer to make it 8-0, Emmanuel. 
 
The Flying Fleet got a run back in the top of the 5^th, scoring a run on one hit to make it 8-1. 
 
In the top of the 6^th, Erskine scored two runs on two hits to make it 8-3, Lions. 
 
The Lions opened the game up in the bottom of the 6^th. Campbell walked to start the inning and Beall followed that up with a single to center. Bergstrom walked to load the bases and Muniz singled to left to score Beall and Campbell to bring the score to 10-3. Bowden walked to load the bases again and Stroud reached on an error to score Bergstrom, making the score 11-3. Muniz scored on a sacrifice fly and Wollin singled to score two runs, making it 14-3, Lions.
 
The Lions closed out the game in the bottom of the 7^th, with a two-run homerun by Muniz to make the final score 16-3, Lions. 
 
At the plate, Collins, Wollin, and Beall all collected three hits on the night. 
 
On the mound, Ethan Pooler got the start going 7.0 innings. He gave up three runs on four hits and struck out 12 batters, walking one. Lucas Meehan faced two batters, and Noah Olson threw 1.2 innings, striking out a batter and walking another.
 
Next up, the Lions will take on Anderson University at their house on Tuesday at 4PM.
 
For more information on Emmanuel University athletics, visit goeulions.com.