HICKORY, N.C. - Despite a six-run seventh inning and 13 hits on the day, the strong offensive performance was not enough as Anderson University baseball fell in the rubber match of a three-game South Atlantic Conference series to Lenoir-Rhyne, 11-8, Sunday afternoon at Bears Field.

With the setback, the Trojans drop their second straight road conference series and fall to 18-24 overall with a 12-15 record in the conference. After suffering an 18-0 setback to the Black and Gold in the final game of a doubleheader on Saturday, the Bears bounced back with their 25th win on the season and improve to 11-16 in league play.

AU totaled three extra-base hits on the day, headlined by junior first baseman Steven Cooper's seventh home run of the season and third for the series. Joining the junior was senior designated hitter Shawn Delmontagne and freshman Tyler Miller with a double apiece. Cooper and Miller paced the ball club with three hits apiece, as they combined for six of the team's 13 hits. All nine players in the Anderson starting lineup posted at least one hit for the afternoon.

With Cooper's three hits for the day, the junior drove in four runs, including two on a single up the middle to headlined a six-run seventh inning, followed by his ninth-inning two-run homer to cut into the Lenoir-Rhyne advantage.

Within the marathon seventh inning, the Trojans scored six runs on six hits to find the scoreboard for the first time on the day. Senior shortstop Brett Cash led off the inning with a single and was later moved to third on Delmontagne's double. After outfielder Stephen McKnight walked, fellow outfielder Garrett Bernardo singled to left center and brought home two to put AU in the run column for the first time.

With two men on, Miller singled and drove in Bernardo for his lone RBI of the day, followed by Cooper's two-run single to close out the inning's scoring.

Prior to the seventh, the Bears began the game's scoring in the second inning with five runs and in the third inning with three runs. With the eight runs through three innings, L-R starter, Ivan Vieitez shined with six complete innings while striking out nine Trojan hitters. Offensively, lead-off hitters Brantley Rumford and Matthew De La Rosa combined for five hits, three runs scored and three RBI to pace the Bears.

AU looks to get back on the winning track on Tuesday when it welcomes North Greenville to Anderson Memorial Stadium to complete a season-long three-game series. The Trojans look for a three-game sweep of the Crusaders beginning at 6 p.m.