ANDERSON, S.C. – Sophomore Dillon Carpenter's one-out single through the left side in the eighth inning gave the Trojans a dramatic 7-6 win in game two, as Anderson salvaged a split of a South Atlantic Conference twin bill with Newberry, Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium after dropping the opener by a 13-7 score.
Anderson (22-26, 12-15 SAC) claimed the No. 8 seed in the conference tournament after winning its 11th decision in 16 outings and claiming its third straight series win over a conference opponent. Newberry fell to 25-22 overall and 13-14 in league play with its third loss in five games.
As the eighth seed, the Trojans will square off against the No. 5 seed, Thursday at 4:30 p.m. at Smokies Stadium in Kodak, Tenn. The fifth seed will be determined later tonight between Lenoir-Rhyne, Newberry and Tusculum.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Game #1
Newberry 13, Anderson 7
Senior William Thomas was 2-for-5 in the opener, with a pair of singles and drove in three runs. Classmate Tyler Miller was 2-for-4, with two singles and was also hit by a pitch. Freshman Tyler Berry added a single and a walk and scored both times.
Sophomore right-hander Austin Todd (4-4) suffered the loss after allowing six runs on five hits in 1/3 of an inning. He walked one batter.
Game #2
Anderson 8, Newberry 7 (8 Innings)
Freshman Trevor Weisner was 2-for-3, while redshirt freshman Chandler Castleberry was 2-for-4, with a two-run double and an RBI-single in the nightcap. Junior Jackson Strange added a double and a single in four at-bats. Miller was 2-for-4, with a pair of singles and a walk, with freshman Dalton Shaw posting two singles. William Thomas reached base on a pair of walks and notched a two-run double, while scoring the game winning run. Carpenter was 2-for-5, including the game-winning single.
Junior Matthew Stanley (1-2) captured the win with three innings of relief. The left-hander allowed two runs on five hits, while striking out one and walking one.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
The Wolves struck for six runs in the top of the first inning and added another run in the third, while building a 10-0 advantage with three more runs in the fourth frame. But the Trojans sliced the deficit in half with a five-run fourth inning.
After Newberry claimed an 11-5 lead with a solo run in the sixth inning, AU closed within 11-7 on Thomas' one-out, two-run single through the right side that brought home Berry and Lindsey.
The Wolves scored solo runs in the eighth and ninth innings to set the final score.
Game 2
Clutch hitting was the storyline for the Trojans in the nightcap, as they totaled five runs with two outs.
AU jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning, but the Wolves reclaimed a brief 3-2 edge with a run in the second and two more in the third inning.
Odachowski belted his fourth home run of the season – a one-out solo shot to left-center – in the bottom of the third to knot the score at three apiece, with Newberry countering with a pair of runs in the fourth. AU answered to tie the game at 5-5 with on Castleberry's double down the left-field line in the bottom of the inning. Thomas' two-out double down the right-field line with Weisner and Shaw on base gave AU a brief 7-5 advantage after five innings.
Newberry sent the contest into extra innings by rallying for two runs in the sixth and holding AU scoreless in the sixth and seventh.
Thomas reached base on a fielder's choice in the eighth inning and moved to third when Miller singled through the right side. Carpenter followed with his late-game heroics by bouncing a single through the left side to plate Thomas.
STAT OF THE DAY
Newberry stranded 21 runners on the day, while the Trojans stranded 16.
NOTABLES
• The Trojans scored a total of five runs when there were two outs on the scoreboard in the nightcap.
• The Trojans' last appearance in the postseason was during the 2015 campaign.
• The SAC Tournament is scheduled for April 26-30 at Smokies Stadium in Kodak, Tenn.
• The 22 wins are the most victories since the 2007 and 2009 squads each posted 23 wins.
• The Trojans are now 3-0 in extra-inning games this season.
• Tyler Miller extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
• Miller has reached base safely in 41 consecutive games.
• William Thomas has reached base safely in 12 straight games.
UP NEXT
The Trojans will close out the regular season by playing host to longtime rival Erskine, Monday night. First-pitch at Memorial Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m.
