ST. AUGUSTINE – Cooper Smith (7-4) scattered seven hits and allowed one run in seven innings to help lead Flagler College to a 5-3 win over Augusta University in a Peach Belt Conference baseball game Saturday afternoon on “Dave Barnett Day.”
Flagler improved to 25-22 overall and 15-11 in the Peach Belt. The Saints have won six of their last seven games. Augusta lost its fourth game in a row and dropped to 23-24 overall and 12-14 in conference play. The same two teams meet in the regular season finale at 1 p.m. tomorrow. Flagler will honor its 10 seniors before the game.
Flagler honored its 37-year head coach Dave Barnett with a ceremony before the game. A crowd of over 550 were present to wish Coach Barnett well in his retirement after the season ends. Barnett has 1,050 career wins, which ranked in the top 12 amongst active NCAA Division II coaches.
The Saints plated two runs in the third inning and added two more in the fifth. Payton Palladino reached on a fielder’s choice and took second on an errant throw by the Augusta second baseman. The next batter, Donovan Garcia, singled to center to score Palladino and the Saints took a 3-0 lead. Garcia stole second and then scored on Matthew Burke’s single to the hole on the right side of the infield. The Augusta second baseman made a great diving play to stop the ball, but Garcia was able to beat the throw to the plate giving the Saints a 4-0 lead.
Flagler got an insurance run in the seventh. Palladino hit a lead-off double, just inside of the bag at third base and scored on a double play.
Smith finished with four strikeouts and induced 10 fly outs to go along with seven more ground outs to get the win on the hill. Jake Hill picked up his second save as he tossed a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts.
Jesse Sullivan and Bryce Fitzgerald had two singles apiece. Garcia also singled twice, but he scored a run and had one run batted in.
Garrett Wright (0-2) took the loss as he allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits in 4.2 innings.
Harrison Aulds collected two singles for the Jaguars and Jack Johnson came off the bench to hit a pair of singles and drove in a run. Jake Vachon reached base all three times he was up with two singles and a walk. He scored a run and drove in another.
