ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson University baseball team opened its final regular-season homestand by edging Southern Wesleyan, 5-4, in nonconference action, Tuesday night at Memorial Stadium.
Anderson improved to 14-30 on the season with its second win in three outings and swept the season series with the Warriors. Southern Wesleyan dropped to 12-33 with its fourth straight loss.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Senior Stephen McKnight paced the Trojans at the plate, with a two-run double, a single and a walk, while junior William Thomas added a pair of singles.
Freshman Christian Carpenter (2-4) collected the win after tossing 5 2/3 innings and surrendering just two runs on seven hits. The right-hander struck out two and walked six. Sophomore John McMicking earned his first save of the season by allowing one hit, while striking out one in the ninth inning.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Trojans opened the scoring by posting a pair of runs with two outs in the bottom of the second inning. Senior Xavier Peralta singled to left and sophomore Jackson Strange followed with a walk, while McKnight laced a double to the gap in left-center to plate both runners.
AU added two more runs in the third inning, with freshman Avery Green getting on base with the first of his two walks with one out. Thomas then laid down a bunt for a base hit and Green went to third when the Southern Wesleyan pitcher threw the ball away trying to pick him off second. With runners on the corners, freshman Dillon Carpenter singled through the left side to bring Green home and sophomore Carson Barrett followed with a single to drive home Thomas.
The Trojans scored what proved to be the winning run an inning later, as freshman Joseph Strange drew a one-out walk and junior Tyler Miller went the opposite way with a single to right-center. Green followed with a walk to load the bases and Thomas lifter a sacrifice fly deep enough in left field to bring home Strange.
The Warriors trimmed AU's advantage to 5-2 behind a two-out, two-run double in the top of the sixth inning and pulled within one run by adding two more runs in the top of the eighth by capitalizing on three walks, a single and a sacrifice fly. McMicking retired the first batter he faced in the ninth on strikes, but Southern Wesleyan's Alec Hryndra followed with a double down the left-field line to get the tying run in scoring position. McMicking ended the contest with a routine fly to left and a pop-up in foul territory just in front of the Trojan dugout.
STAT OF THE NIGHT
Each team stranded 11 baserunners on the night.
NOTABLES
• The 5 2/3-inning stint marked Carpenter's second-longest of the season.
• Thomas leads the Trojans with 22 multi-hit games on the season.
• Miller has 18 multi-hit games and Dillon Carpenter has 13.
• Miller extended his hitting streak to a dozen games and has reached base safely in 13 straight games.
• Thomas and Dillon Carpenter have each reached base safely in 10 consecutive games.
UP NEXT
Anderson welcomes another Conference Carolinas' opponent – Limestone – to Memorial Stadium Wednesday night. First-pitch versus the Saints is set for 6 p.m.
