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Trojans Rally to Claim Series Opener Past Mars Hill

Trojans Rally to Claim Series Opener Past Mars Hill
Box score

ANDERSON, S.C. - Paced by sophomore hurler TJ Estes' first complete of the season and a three-run sixth inning, Anderson rallied to defeat Mars Hill, 4-3, in South Atlantic Conference baseball action Friday night at Anderson Memorial Stadium.

Anderson (16-21, 9-10 SAC) won its' second straight conference contest and has claimed two of its' last three, while Mars Hill (16-22, 7-12 SAC) dropped its fourth consecutive decision.

Junior third baseman Blake May led the Trojans at the plate, going 2-for-3, with a double and scored two runs, including AU's first run in the decisive sixth inning. Freshman left fielder Zach Reeves and shortstop Thomas Padro each added doubles in the win.

Estes (3-2) scattered nine hits - none for extra bases - and surrendered just two earned runs, while fanning seven Mars Hill batters and walking just one as the Rock Hill, S.C., native tossed Anderson's fourth complete game of the campaign.

The Lions' Dalton Hardee, Coty Pate and Chriatian Diaz each posted a pair of hits on the night.

The Trojans worked Mars Hill starter Tyler Stephenson (3-4) for four runs off seven hits in 6 2/3 innings, saddling him with the loss.

Mars Hill's Michael Bueker led off the game with a hard single back up the middle and scored the contest's first run on a one-out sacrifice fly off the bat of senior Adam Lewis.

Estes survived the shaky start and retired 11 of the next 13 Lion's hitters, while the Trojans threatened in both the first and third innings, but were unable to capitalize with runners in scoring position until breaking through in the sixth inning.

Mars Hill pushed its' lead to 2-0 in the top of the sixth, when MHC's Adam Lewis chopped one just in front of the plate with two out and Estes threw high past Erick Sanderson at first, allowing Lewis to advance and Hardee to score from first.

The Trojans' bats woke up in the bottom of the sixth, as AU batted around and took a 3-2 lead. May ripped a one-out double to center field and scored Anderson's first run of the night with two outs when the Lion's infield misplayed Ryan Kirkland's hard-hit single to the left side. Freshman catcher Troy Ambros was hit by an errant pitch with the bases loaded to force another run across and Reeves followed with a walk to bring home AU's third run of the frame.

Anderson added an insurance run in the seventh when May was hit by a pitch with two out and scored what turned out to be the winning run on Price's fourth double of the season.

Mars Hill trimmed AU's lead to just one in the ninth when Pate led off the inning with a walk. Lions' designated hitter Christian Diaz then bounced out to third, moving Pate into scoring position. He moved to third on Matt Harris' single to right field and scored on Tyler Reboulet's bounce out to third. With the tying run in scoring position and two out, Estes was able to get the final out on a bouncer to second to secure the win.

The two teams will wrap in the three-game series with a doubleheader Saturday afternoon that is slated to start at 1 p.m.

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