Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 LAURINBURG, N.C.— The Montreat baseball team opened its Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) series with the St. Andrews University Knights Thursday afternoon, playing a doubleheader in Laurinburg, N.C. After claiming a 5-3 triumph in the initial matchup, the Cavs used early offense to hold on to a 7-6 win in game two, sweeping the twin bill and improving to 20-18 (13-10 AAC) in the process.
 
Game one began as a pitchers' duel as both starters worked out of jams due to walks early. After the Cavaliers went 0-5 with runners in scoring position in their first five trips to the plate with runners on second or third, SAU grabbed a 1-0 advantage in the second on a steal of home.
 
The Cavs immediately responded thanks to a 2-RBI single by Isaac Castro in the ensuing frame as the transfer gave Montreat a 2-1 edge with the team's first hit with runners in scoring position. The Cavaliers then extended their lead to a pair of runs when Norman Kelly stole home.
 
A couple of scoreless frames followed as pitchers worked their magic on the mound. Case Jaworski, who got the start for the Cavs, retired eight straight Knights during the span, and Montreat added a fourth run due to Tarik Latchmansingh's RBI base knock in the sixth. Jaworski finished his day with 6.1 innings pitched and 11 strikeouts, surrendering only a single hit during his performance.
 
Though the Knights pulled a run back in the seventh and the eighth to come within a run, an insurance score by the visitors in the top of the ninth combined with a scoreless inning pitched by Joe Tomasello completed the 5-3 triumph. Tomasello earned his second save of the season, while Tyler Best struck out three and allowed just one unearned run over his 1.2 innings.
 
Offensively, the Cavaliers outhit the Knights 10-3, led by Kelly's 3-for-3 showing at the plate. Latchmansingh (2-3) and Wetmore (2-5) joined Kelly with multiple hits in the game.
 
Caleb Abshier got the Cavs on the board first in game number two as he hit an RBI double to center in the top of the first. After SAU knotted the competition at one with a bases-loaded walk, Montreat found its offense with two gone in the second. Four consecutive 2-out RBI hits put the Cavaliers back in the lead and extended the visitors' advantage to 5-1 through one-and-a-half frames.
 
Abshier recorded his third RBI of the matchup with a sacrifice fly in the fourth prior to Wetmore's sacrifice fly that made it 7-1 entering the bottom of the fourth.
 
Ben Cornelius got into a groove on the mound after struggling with command early. The Union College (Ky.) transfer retired six consecutive St. Andrews batters over the third and fourth innings before an error allowed the first batter of the fourth to reach. Cornelius would have gotten out of the fourth had it not been for the error, and he gave up only two hits and one earned run while striking out four through his 3.2 innings.
 
SAU (17-16, 10-9 AAC) did its best to come from behind in the contest from the fourth inning on. The Knights scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth before chipping their deficit to three (7-4) through five. A 2-run home run in the seventh brought the home team within a single run, but Daniel Willie completed the final frame and tallied his first save of the year in a 7-6 victory.
 
Latchmansingh led the offense in the latter game, recording three hits at the plate, while Abshier contributed a pair of hits and three of the squad's seven RBIs. Zeb Marquis (2-3) grabbed the other 2-hit performance for Montreat.
 
Baseball is scheduled to complete its series with the Knights on Monday. First pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m. in Laurinburg, N.C.