For the second time, AUTrojans.com is counting down Anderson University athletics' 25 most memorable games, matches and meets from the 2014-15 academic year. This season's countdown began on Monday, June 22 and will continue throughout the summer.
Be sure to check AUTrojans.com during the offseason to relive all the highlights of another successful year at Anderson.
Cooper Headlines Afternoon with Walk-Off Homer, Trojans Split with Brevard
April 3, 2015
ANDERSON, S.C. - Junior first baseman Steven Cooper provided the fireworks to close the afternoon, as his walk-off two-run home run proved to be the difference in the second game of the day, as Anderson University baseball split with Brevard with a 10-2 setback to open the doubleheader, followed by a 5-4 win to close the twin bill, Friday afternoon at Anderson Memorial Stadium.
With the split, the Trojans move to 16-20 on the season with a 10-13 mark in South Atlantic Conference play, while the Tornados jump to 17-21 overall with an 11-14 record in the league. The win in the final contest snapped a six-game setback streak and marked AU's first conference win in seven tries.
Cooper was one of four AU hitters to post hits in both games of the twin bill, as the junior extended his hitting streak to 14 straight games while reaching base safely in 23 consecutive contests. Both of Cooper's hits were for extra bases, as he doubled in the opener and followed with his game-winning homer.
Leading the team in hits for the afternoon was junior catcher and designated hitter LJ Newman with a pair of two-hit games headlined by a RBI double in the third inning of the second game. Rounding out the quartet was freshman third baseman Tyler Miller and junior outfielder Garrett Bernardo with a pair of singles for the day, respectively.
In the opener, Brevard used eight runs through the first five innings, highlighted by a six-run fifth, to cruise to the 10-2 win. The lone bright spot for the Trojan offense came in the eighth inning when AU crossed two runs due to a single from Bernardo, followed by a double by junior second baseman Kyle Bailey. Bailey eventually scored on a Tornado error to cut into the Brevard lead.
For the final game, Anderson found the scoreboard first in the third inning, as Bailey and Cooper took advantage of early-inning walks and eventually scored off a double from Newman followed by a wild pitch. For Newman, the RBI was his 23rd of the season which ranks fourth on the team.
Following the two runs by the Black and Gold, Brevard responded with three runs in the top of the fourth inning, as BC second baseman John Slade tripled to the right-center gap with the bases loaded and earned all three RBI. The triple came off a full count after the second baseman fouled the previous pitch off his leg and went down for a matter of moments.
The Trojans bounced back in the bottom of the fourth and tied the game when junior catcher Travis Smith hammered a solo home run to the deepest part of the ballpark for his fifth homer of the season to lead off the inning. Unable to find the run column for the remainder of the inning, the game quickly moved into the sixth inning with the score deadlocked at 3-3.
Brevard struck again in the sixth when Slade recorded his fourth
RBI of the day with a double in the right-center gap. With the
two-bagger, Slade drove in all four of BC's runs for the final game
of the day, while posting his fifth hit of the afternoon.
After being shutout in the bottom of the sixth, senior reliever JT Trujillo held the Tornados without a run in the top of the seventh, which led to the bottom of the seventh heroics. After Miller led off the inning with a single to left field, Cooper smashed a 1-0 pitch over the right-center wall to hand Anderson the one-run win. For Cooper, the homer was his sixth of the season, as he increased his RBI total on the season to a team-high 31.
After tossing 1.2 innings of relieve, Trujillo earned his third victory of the season, as he struck out two Tornados and allowed just one hit. On the opposite side, Brevard starter Zac Joyce tossed six complete innings and allowed three runs and struck out eight in the no-decision.
AUTrojans.com's Most Memorable Moments of
2014-15
25. Furtick Captures All-Tournament Honors at AU Invitational - Sept. 9,
2014
24. Men's Cross Country Finishes Fifth at SAC Championships - Nov. 8,
2014
23. Merriman Earns All-Tournament Recognition at SAC Men's Golf
Championships - April 21,
2015
22. Men's Basketball Edges Georgia College - Dec. 13,
2014
21. Women's Track and Field Finishes Fourth at SAC Championships -
April
18, 2015
20. Baseball Claims 12-3 Win over Brevard in Opening Round of SAC
Tournament - April 23,
2015
19. Volleyball Defeats Tusculum in Five Sets - Oct. 17,
2014
18. Women's Cross Country Finishes Third at SAC Championships - Nov. 8,
2014
17. Women's Basketball 68, Wingate 57 - Feb. 7,
2015
16. Women's Soccer 9, Coker 0 - Sept. 20,
2014
15. Baseball Slams Eight Home Runs in Doubleheader with
Lenoir-Rhyne - April 11,
2015
14. Women's Tennis 5, Newberry 4 - April 16,
2015
13. Men's Soccer 3, Mount Olive 2 (OT) - Oct. 15,
2014
12. Men's Basketball Defeats Limestone in Final Seconds - Dec. 10,
2014
11. Women's Basketball 73, Carson-Newman 71 - Feb. 18,
2015
10. Men's Tennis 5, No. 29 Queens 4 - March 4,
2015
9. Men's Track and Field Finishes Sixth at SAC Championships;
Burton Shines - April 18,
2015
8. Cooper Knocks Walk-Off Home against Brevard - April 3,
2015
