St. Andrews Rallies to Beat Coker 7-5 in Conference Tournament Opener

by Christian Stryker, SID Coker College
4/16/2009

Wilson, N.C. - A six run sixth inning by #8 seed St. Andrews, led to a 7-5 win for the Knights over #9 seed Coker in the opening game of the 2009 Conference Carolinas baseball tournament.

Coker jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in the first inning thanks to RBI singles from BK Harfst (Arvada, CO), Jessie Crockett (North East, MD) and Karl Ankersen (Mt. Pleasant, SC) and a St. Andrews error. A RBI double by the Knights Kyle Norris in the bottom half of the inning gave St. Andrews their run, and that is where the game would stay for the next four and a half innings. But in the bottom of the sixth the Knights exploded for six runs on five hits and a Coker error to take a 7-4 lead.

Coker did manage to get one more run on the board, as Crockett drove home Brinley Griffin (Port St. John, FL) with an RBI single in the eighth.

St. Andrews' Travis Lee (4-6) earned the complete game win, allowing five runs on eight hits with three strikeouts, with Coker hurler Chris Thomas (Bluffton, SC) (4-7) taking the loss, allowing four runs on three hits in an inning of work.

At the plate, Crockett was 2-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the Cobras, while Ankersen and Harfst each had an RBI.

St. Andrews was led by Norris, going 2-for-2 with a double, an RBI and a run scored, while Charles Weber, Ethan Powell and Josh Axelsen each had a a hit and an RBI.

St. Andrews advances to play #1 seed Belmont Abbey at Fleming Stadium at 4:00 p.m., while Coker will face the elimination at 2:30 p.m. against the loser of Mount Olive/Anderson.