Bullpen helps RedWolves beat Fayetteville

FLORENCE — When the fans arrived at Legion Field for Florence’s meeting with Fayetteville Monday night, they might have expected a pitchers’ duel between the RedWolves’ Andre Benjamin and the SwampDogs’ Aaron Daab.

Neither hurler stuck around to get a decision, however. Florence got three innings of shutout relief from Jeremy Berg and took advantage of some shaky Fayetteville defense to take a 5-4 victory over its I-95 rival.

Berg (1-0) blanked the SwampDogs on two hits in three innings with four strikeouts and no walks. Tio McLean fanned two of the four batters he faced in the ninth for his first save of the season.

With the score tied 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Florence’s Blake Walker reached on a dropped pop-up by catcher Hunter Nolen. Four batters later, with Walker standing on third, Dillon native Keon Graves hit a soft grounder to second that should have ended the inning.

But Connor Crumbliss misplayed it, allowing Graves to reach. The second error of the inning by Fayetteville (4-1) and the second miscue of the game by Crumbliss allowed Walker to score and give the RedWolves a 5-4 lead.

Nick Chmielweski suffered the loss for Fayetteville, allowing no earned runs on four hits in 4 1/3 innings. The freshman right-hander from Illinois struck out three batters, walked two and hit two more.

Trailing 2-0, Florence looked answer off Daab in its first at-bat, sending eight men to the plate. With two runners on and one out, Myckie Lugbauer bounced an infield single that scored Jamie Wolczak to cut the SwampDogs lead to 2-1.

Francis Marion’s Jared Barkdoll then lined a double into the gap in left-center, scoring Walker to tie the contest at 2-2.

With Barrett Kleinknecht standing on second base in the third, Barkdoll rifled a Daab offering into right center for his second RBI double of the game and Florence (3-1) had a 3-2 lead after three innings.

Barkdoll went 3-for-4 to lead the RedWolves.

Daab allowed three earned runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings. The lefthander fanned two batters and walked two.

The RedWolves added to their lead in the fourth inning by taking advantage of the Fayetteville bullpen. With two on and two out, SwampDogs coach Darrell Handelsman called to the bullpen. But Chmielweski plunked Kleinknecht and walked Walker with the bases loaded to force home Herman Petzold to give Florence a 4-2 advantage.

One swing, however, deadlocked the score in the fifth inning. Jason King blasted a Benjamin pitch an estimated 405 feet to left-center for a two-run homer that tied the game at 4.

King finished a triple short of the cycle, going 3-for-5 with three RBI. Kevin McKague had two hits and two RBI for the SwampDogs, who left 11 men on base in the loss.

Benjamin went five innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits. The southpaw from Grand Valley State finished with seven strikeouts, two walks and one runner picked off.