HICKORY, NC--After traveling roughly 975 miles over the past 4 days, the Anderson University Baseball Team (16-12, 5-6) will be thrilled to return home; the Trojans had won three straight games at home before going on the a road trip that was capped with a heartbraking 6-5 loss to the #25 Lenoir-Rhyne Bears Tuesday--it was their third straight. "We aren't playing bad," said Trojan head coach Joe Miller. "In fact, we are getting real solid pitching, and we are even hitting the ball well. "We are just not stepping up in spots." Lenoir-Rhynes' Max Loveland hit a game-tying, three-run home run and then came in and pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the Bears, who were fresh after having been off for the last 10 days. AU led up to that point, getting some help from Bear pitcher Ryan Hairston, as he walked 3 batters and threw a wild pitch to give the Trojans a two-run first on 0 hits. AU grabbed two runs in the next two innings; in the top of the second Derek Hipp lined an RBI single to left field, scoring Josh Grubbs, and in the top of the third, Ryan Saxon drove in Matt Hill with a sacrifice fly to right field. The Trojans got a great outing from starting pitcher Bryson Graydon. The junior pitched 4 innings, struck out 4, and gave up a hit on no earned runs. Graydon gave way to freshman middle reliever Riley McDermott who has been a trump card for coach Miller all year. But today was not McDermott's day, as he threw a 2-1 offering to Loveland and gave up the game-tying homer. The Bears then took a 5-4 advantage with an RBI single in bottom half of the sixth, but the Trojans rallied in the top of the seventh when Matt Hill piled on his day at the plate by driving in Derek Hipp. It was not enough; the Trojans' Justin Rogers gave up the game-winner in the bottom of the eighth and AU left a man on in the top of the ninth making the 6-5 score final. Matt Hill finished the day 3-4 with a run and an RBI while centerfielder, Derek Hipp was 2-5 with a run and an RBI. The Trojans will try to snap their streak of 3-straight losses tomorrow as they welcome future SAC foe Lincoln Memorial to Memorial Stadium for a 3:00pm first pitch. There is no place like home. Box Score