HARROGATE, Tenn. – The Anderson University baseball team got back in the win column by knocking off Lincoln Memorial, 7-6, in extra innings in the nightcap of a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader after dropping a 7-6 decision in the opener, Saturday afternoon at Friday afternoon Lamar Hennon Park.
AU's late inning heroics fell just short in the opener, but the Trojans' late rally in the nightcap proved to be enough to pull out the win, as Anderson moved to 5-11 overall and 2-4 in conference play, while snapping a four-game slide with the dramatic win in the nightcap. Lincoln Memorial (12-6, 2-4 SAC) has dropped four of its last six decisions.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Game #1
Lincoln Memorial 7, Anderson 6
Freshman Will Lindsey was a perfect 2-for-2, with a pair of singles and scored twice. Chandler Castleberry was 2-for-5, with a single and a two-run homer, while senior William Thomas added a pair of singles and Jackson Strange was 2-for-5, with a single and a double.
Junior Will Gee (1-2) took the loss after allowing four runs on nine hits in four innings, while fanning six Railsplitters and not issuing a walk.
Game #2
Anderson 7, Lincoln Memorial 6 (8 Innings)
Castleberry added another two-run shot in the nightcap, along with a single and a pair of walks for an impressive 1.250 slugging percentage in the doubleheader. Freshman Tyler Berry was 2-for-3, with a pair of singles, while Strange posted a pair of singles. Sophomore Dillon Carpenter notched two singles, while Matthew Overton was 1-for-3 and also reached on a walk. Junior Brandon Odachowski drove in two runs with a fourth-inning single.
Sophomore Austin Todd (2-2) earned the win with 1 2/3 innings of relief. The right-hander allowed just one hit, while striking out two.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
The Railsplitters took advantage of clutch hitting to gain an early 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the first, as Logan Augustine scored from second on a two-out single to right off the bat of Tyler Adams. LMU threatened again in the bottom of the second, as the 'Splitters had runners on second and third with one out, but Gee worked out of the jam with a timely strikeout and a fly ball to right field.
It was AU's turn to threaten in the top of the fourth, when Overton led off with a single to right and Jackson Strange followed with a double to get both runners in scoring position. But the Trojans came up empty-handed following a strikeout and a pair of groundouts.
The Railsplitters added three runs in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the fifth before AU got on the scoreboard with a solo run in the sixth inning. Carpenter led off with a single back up the middle and crossed the plate on Odachowski's single through the right side to make it 6-1. The Trojans cut the deficit to 6-3 in the seventh on Castleberry's two-run home run beyond the fence in right-center, with LMU getting one run back in the bottom of the seventh.
Trailing by four runs entering the final inning, the Trojans capitalized on a lead-off walk by freshman Chase Stephens and back-to-back singles by Lindsey and Castleberry to plate Dalton Shaw, who pinch-ran for Stephens. Thomas followed with a single through the left side to load the bases with no outs and Miller beat out a single to the left side to bring home Lindsey and trim the LMU lead to 7-5. Carpenter bounced out to the right side to bring AU within one and the Trojans had the tying run at third with one out, but were unable to push across the equalizer, as LMU held on for the win.
Game 2
Lincoln Memorial garnered a 3-0 lead behind a solon run in the first and two more in the third inning, but the Trojans answered by sending eight batters to the plate in the top of the fourth and plating two runs. The Railsplitters responded with a run in the bottom of the inning to double up AU, 4-2, but AU countered with two runs in both the fifth and sixth frames to capture a 6-4 lead after six innings.
But LMU knotted the score with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh to send the contest into extra innings.
Miller singled to right with one out in the eighth, then moved into scoring position on an LMU error. He went to third when Carpenter grounded out and crossed the plate with the go-ahead run on a passed ball.
The Railsplitters managed to get the tying run on first with one out, but Todd earned his second win of the season by inducing a pair of fly balls for the final two outs.
STAT OF THE DAY
The Trojans are 2-2 in one-run decisions on the season.
NOTABLES
• The Trojans and Railsplitters each totaled 24 hits, 13 runs and seven walks on the day.
• The nightcap was the second extra-inning game of the season for the Trojans.
• AU is 2-0 in extra-inning games this season.
• LMU recorded 10 extra-base hits on the day.
• The Trojans are 4-1 when leading after six innings.
• Chandler Castleberry extended his hitting streak to seven games.
• Castleberry has reached base safely in every game this season.
• Matthew Overton has reached base safely in 15 consecutive games.
• Castleberry leads the team with five home runs on the season.
UP NEXT
AU wraps up the four-game road swing by visiting North Greenville on Tuesday, then welcomes Coker to Anderson Memorial Stadium for a three-game SAC weekend series.