ANDERSON, S.C. – Erskine senior Connor Greene's one-out sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth inning scored fellow senior Chase Watts with the go-ahead run and Erskine held on to edge Anderson, 5-4, in the regular-season finale for both teams, Tuesday night at Memorial Stadium.
Anderson (22-27) wrapped up the regular season with just its third loss in its last 12 decisions, while Erskine (26-23) won the season series and snapped a three-game skid with the win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Sophomore Dillon Carpenter, who was named Second-Team All-SAC earlier in the day, was 3-for-4 at the plate. He posted a double, a pair of singles and also reached base on a second-inning walk. Junior Brandon Odachowski added an RBI-double, while junior Jackson Strange belted his seventh home run of the season – a two-run shot beyond the fence in left-center. Senior Tyler Miller notched a double in the first inning and classmate William Thomas was 2-for-5 on the night, with a pair of singles.
Junior left-hander Christian Hendrix (2-2), who was the eighth of nine Trojan pitchers, absorbed the loss after allowing the go-ahead run in the eighth inning.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Trojans took an early lead when Miller doubled down the left-field line with one out in the bottom of the first inning and crossed the plate when Carpenter singled to left field.
Erskine took advantage of a pair of singles to knot the score in the top of the second inning and claimed a brief 2-1 edge with another run in the fifth inning. The Trojans countered with a three-run fifth inning, which was highlighted by Strange's two-run homer.
But the Flying fleet responded with a pair of runs in the sixth inning to even the score yet again and took the lead for good behind Greene's late heroics.
STAT OF THE NIGHT
The Trojans out-hit Erskine, 11-9, on the night.
NOTABLES
• Despite the setback, AU retained possession of the coveted Beville Cup for the sixth straight year, and the eighth time in nine years, by a 7 ½-7 score.
• Tyler Miller extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
• William Thomas has reached base safely in 13 consecutive games.
• The Trojans have homered in three of their last four games.
UP NEXT
The No. 8 seeded Trojans are scheduled to open the 2018 Pilot/Flying J South Atlantic Conference Baseball Championship against fifth-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne, Thursday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. The five-day event will be played at Smokies Stadium in Kodak, Tenn. Thursday's games will be single elimination, while the Friday-Monday portion of the Championship is double-elimination.