ANDERSON, S.C. – Trailing by three runs entering its final at-bat, the Anderson baseball team rallied to score twice and had the tying run at second base with no outs, but the Trojans were unable to push the run across and opened their three-game South Atlantic Conference series with a narrow, 9-8, loss to Carson-Newman, Friday night at Memorial Stadium.
Anderson slipped to 11-21 overall and 2-11 in conference action, with its sixth consecutive setback, while Carson-Newman (21-13, 4-8 SAC) snapped a three-game skid with the win.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Redshirt junior Dillon Carpenter was 4-for-5 at the plate, with three singles and a two-run triple, with redshirt sophomore Chandler Castleberry adding a pair of singles and driving in a run. Sophomore Dalton Shaw was hit by a pitch three times on the night, scored three times and singled in the ninth inning. Senior Brandon Odachowski singled, reached on an error and drove in two runs.
Senior right-hander Will Gee (2-5) absorbed the loss after allowing six runs on 11 hits in six full innings of work on the mound. He walked three and struck out three.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Carson-Newman opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first, but the Trojans answered with a run in the bottom of the frame on Odachowski's two-out single through the left side.
The Eagles posted four runs in the top of the third, with AU countering by notching a solo run in the bottom of the inning when Castleberry pulled a single into left-center that brought Shaw across the plate for the second time.
Carson-Newman increased its lead to 6-2 on Jordan Griffin's solo homer in the fifth inning, while the Trojans trimmed the Eagles' lead to just one run by plating three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Shaw was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the inning and moved into scoring position on Lindsey's single through the left side. Carpenter followed by ripping his second triple of the season into the gap in right-center to bring home both runners. Carpenter scored AU's fifth run of the night two batters later, when Odachowski bounced out to the left side.
Each team scored a run in the eighth inning and the score was set at 7-6 with the two squads heading into their final at-bat, with Carson-Newman managing to push across a pair of insurance runs in the top of the top of the ninth.
Odachowski led off by reaching on an error by the Eagles and Jackson Strange followed with a single through the left side, while Cody Adams drew a walk to load the bases. Joseph Strange was then hit by a pitch for the second straight inning to plate Odachowski and pinch-hitter Tyler Berry lifted a sacrifice fly to center field that drew AU within one run, but the Trojans were unable to push across the tying run.
NOTABLES
• Chandler Castleberry extended his hitting streak to seven games.
• Will Lindsey has reached base safely in 18 straight games.
• Three Trojan batters were hit by a pitch, including Dalton Shaw three times and Joseph Strange twice.
• The two teams combined to strand 23 runners.
UP NEXT
The Trojans and Eagles will wrap up their conference series with a doubleheader, Saturday afternoon. First-pitch at Memorial Stadium is set for 1 p.m.