ANDERSON, S.C. – Timely hitting and solid pitching lifted the Anderson baseball team to a 5-1 win in the nightcap, as the Trojans bounced back from a 10-3 loss in the opener, with AU splitting a nonconference doubleheader with Newberry, Saturday afternoon at Anderson Memorial Stadium.
Anderson moved to 2-1 on the young season, while Newberry went to 2-4 with its fourth loss in five games.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Game #1
Newberry 10, Anderson 3
Freshman Dillon Carpenter was 2-for-5 in the opener, with a pair of singles and reached base three times, while driving in a run. Junior Tyler Miller added two singles in five at-bats, with senior Stephen McKnight reaching base on a single and a walk.
Junior Nick Contafio suffered the loss after allowing five hits and three earned runs in 2 1/3 innings on the mound. The left-hander issued three walks.
Game #2
Anderson 5, Newberry 1
Senior Xavier Peralta was 2-for-3 in the nightcap, with a pair of singles, an RBI and a run scored. Sophomore Carson Barrett added two singles and an RBI in three trips to the plate, with Carpenter getting on base after getting hit by a pitch and drilling a one-out triple in the third inning.
Senior Chris Ayers earned the victory by tossing five complete innings and surrendering just one earned run, while striking out four and walking two batters. Junior right-hander Andrew Dill gave up just one single in two strong innings of relief, while striking out one.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
The Wolves posted a pair of runs in the top of the first inning and added a solo run in the third, before erupting for seven runs in the fifth frame to put the game out of reach.
AU capitalized on four singles, including three with two outs, to push across two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and added another run in the seventh when junior William Thomas led off with a walk and scored on Jackson Strange's sacrifice fly to center field.
Game 2
The Trojans sent seven batters to the plate in both the second and third innings, while scoring all five of their runs in those two innings. Carpenter was hit by a pitch to lead off the second inning, while Jackson Strange, Barrett and Peralta followed with three consecutive singles. Carpenter crossed the plate on a wild pitch while Peralta was at the plate and Peralta's base hit through the left side plated Strange with AU's second run. With two outs, Peralta crossed the plate on an error by the Wolves' first baseman.
Freshman Avery Green led off the third inning with a single back up the middle and scored one out later on Carpenter's triple to the wall in left-center. Two batters later, Barrett's second single in as many innings plated Carpenter with AU's final run of the afternoon.
The five-run cushion was more than enough for Ayers and Dill, as the Wolves managed just four baserunners over the final four innings.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE DAY
Six different Trojans recorded base hits in the nightcap and four different Trojans drove in a run.
NOTABLES
• Zach McIlroy and Dillon Carpenter each have four hits on the season.
• Carpenter has a three-game hitting streak heading into Sunday's game at Newberry.
UP NEXT
The Trojans and Wolves are slated to square off again Sunday afternoon in Newberry, S.C. First-pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Wolves' Smith Road Complex.