SALISBURY, N.C. – The Anderson baseball team wrapped up its' three-game South Atlantic Conference series by dropping both ends of a twin bill, 9-8 and 2-0, to preseason-league favorite Catawba, Sunday afternoon at Newman Park.
Anderson slipped to 9-12 overall on the season and 2-7 in league action, while Catawba moved to 19-6 and 6-3 with its fifth win in six outings.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Game #1
Catawba 9, Anderson 8
Sophomore Will Lindsey was 2-for-3, with a pair of singles and also reached twice on walks, while scoring a pair of runs. Redshirt sophomore Chandler Castleberry was 2-for-5 in the opener, including his team-leading fifth home run of the season – a two run shot in the first inning. The Waxhaw, N.C., native finished the opener with three RBI and crossed the plate twice. Senior Brandon Odachowski highlighted the ninth-inning rally by hammering a grand slam and junior Matthew Overton added two singles in five at-bats. Sophomore Tyler Berry notched a solo homer in the sixth inning.
Junior Austin Todd started on the mound and allowed four runs on nine hits, while striking out five and walking three in six full innings of work. Junior Christian Carpenter (0-1) absorbed his first loss of the season after notching six saves through his first nine relief appearances. The right-hander allowed three runs on five hits in 2/3 of an inning.
Game #2
Catawba 2, Anderson 0
Shaw posted the Trojans' lone hits in the nightcap – a single in the fourth inning and another single in the seventh.
Redshirt senior John McMicking (1-2) suffered the hard-luck loss after scattering four hits in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out five and walked two.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
The Trojans dropped a heart-breaking 9-8 decision in the opener after rallying from a three-run deficit in the top of the ninth to take a two-run advantage into the bottom of the final inning.
Lindsey notched a one-out single in the top of the opening inning and Castleberry followed by blasting his homer over the left-field wall to give the Trojans an early 2-0 lead. But Catawba countered with a solo run in the bottom of the second and added three more in the third inning to claim a 4-2 lead.
Berry's second home run of the season in the top of the sixth pulled AU within 4-3, before the Indians added a pair of runs in the seventh and took the three-run edge into the ninth inning. But sophomore Dalton Shaw, who was pinch-hitting, ignited a five-run inning for the Trojans by reaching on an error. Junior Cody Adams followed with his sixth double of the season to right and the Trojans quickly had the tying run at the plate. Lindsey drew a walk to load the bases with one out and Castleberry singled through the left side to pull AU within two. Odachowski then slammed his home run over the center-field fence and the Trojans suddenly held an 8-6 lead.
But Catawba answered by scoring three runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to earn the come-from-behind win.
Game 2
Both teams were stymied at the plate through the first 3 ½ innings, before Catawba pushed across a solo run in the bottom of the fourth and added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning.
UP NEXT
Following a three-day layoff, the Trojans will play host to Benedict on Thursday. First-pitch at Memorial Stadium is scheduled for 3 p.m.
