Among other lessons left in Clinton by Canisius University’s baseball was that not all the teams touring the South are Saint Peters.

Presbyterian (4-2) opened the season with four consecutive blowouts, by a total margin of 58-12, over the Peacocks, but the Buffalo, N.Y., Golden Griffins escaped Elton Pollock Field on Friday night with an 8-6 victory over the Blue Hose.

The Blue Hose almost came back in the bottom of the ninth. Joel Dragoo led off with a double and scored from third on Ryan Becker’s infield single. PC had runners on second and third when Jay Wetherington flied out to center for the final out.

Bryan Aduddle picked up a tense save. The decision went to the Griffin’s second hurler, Tom Peltier (1-0), who yielded two runs in four innings of relief of starter Payton Consigli. Peltier struck out 10.

Both teams batted around the old ballyard, with Presbyterian outhitting Canisius (1-1), 13-10. The Blue Hose made three errors to the Griffins’ 2, and both stranded 11 baserunners.

Canisius third baseman Trent Rumley laid waste to PC pitching. He doubled and homered, scoring three runs and driving in four.

The top four in the PC batting order – Noah Lebron, Aaron Hobson, Dragoo and Ryan Ouzts – each had two hits. Hobson, who entered in the first inning as a pinch-runner for Brody Fahr, also doubled and scored three runs. Ouzts drove in two.

The game, scheduled to start at 4 p.m., was delayed by rain.

Saint Joseph’s, from Philadelphia, and Quinnipiac, from Hamden, Conn., are following Canisius for what to them is warm-weather play. The Hawks take on the Blue Hose on Saturday at 2 and the Bobcats on Sunday at noon.

Take a look at the box here.

PC placed seven women’s wrestlers in the NCAA Nationals by winning 20 combined matches in Friday’s Southeast Regional Tournament in Franklin Springs, Ga.

Cassia Zammit (130), Henlee Haynes (170), and Ella Beam (191) each took second-place ribbons at the event, hosted by Emmanuel University, while the trio of Chiara Barbieri (101), Alyssa Mahan (123), and Madeline Kubicki (143) topped the consolation side of their own brackets to each claim a bronze prize.

Head coach Brian Vutianitis will send that group (plus Ta’Niya Roberts, who landed a 4^th place) to Iowa for the national tourney on March 8-9.

The Blue Hose split a softball twinbill in Charlotte, N.C., to Queens, dropping the opener, 1-0, and prevailing, 8-5, in the nightcap.

An extra-inning fielding blunder in extra innings cost PC game one.

Freshman pitcher Kasey Wolfe took a tough loss, yielding only an unearned run.

Presbyterian (5-6) found its batting stroke in game two, banging 14 hits and scoring in four separate innings. The Royals are also 5-6.

David Williams’ crew continues its six-game road stretch this weekend by participating in a Georgia Southern round robin on Saturday and Sunday in Stateboro, Ga.

Women’s tennis claimed its second Big South weekly award of the season when Lucianna Piedra was honored.

In singles matches, Piedra went 2-0. She beat Wofford’s Emely Kahrs 6-1, 6-3 at the No. 4 slot before defeating TSU’s Louise Ratiu at the No. 3 spot the next day with a score of 6-4, 6-2.

I’m mostly recovered from shingles at last. I’ve tried to keep up best I could. At least one story has been posted for 40 days, a record for the site. I’m strapped for cash but still writing as hard and resourcefully as I can.

A couple contributions arrived over the weekend. I can’t express my gratitude enough.

Blue, Green, Purple & Red cannot solely be funded by advertising. There’s not enough room. If you like the coverage, please donate whatever you consider appropriate via Venmo at DHK Sports. If you choose, make a monthly donation via Patreon. The Laurens County site is here. The Furman site is here.

Support the advertisers. They are all fine people who appreciate my attempts to restore coverage of local sports.

In the off chance you’d like to read my novels and other books, they’re available on Amazon and many prominent bookseller sites.

Photo galleries are posted on Instagram @furmanatt and @laurenscountysports.

Thanks for your support.