ANDERSON, S.C. – After falling behind early, the Anderson University baseball team rallied in the middle innings and never looked back, as the Trojans knocked off Limestone, 14-8, in nonconference action, Friday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
Anderson improved to 4-0 on the season, while Limestone (0-5) is searching for its first win of the early campaign.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
First baseman Nick Vella was 3-for-4 at the plate, with a triple, a pair of singles and also added a third-inning walk. The Queens, N.Y., native drove in three runs and scored a pair of runs. Teammate Justin Fox was 2-for-5 and also drove in three runs, including two with a fifth-inning double. Freshman Jaxon Young added three hits in five trips to the plate, including a one-out triple in the second inning. He also crossed the plate twice.
Kye Andress posted a pair of doubles and a walk, with catcher Carlos Hernandez notching a pair of singles and a walk, while crossing the plate twice. Sophomore Brayden Owens was 2-for-4, with a walk and two RBI. Jackson Van Ness tallied a double and a single, while posting a pair of RBI and scoring once.
PITCHERS
Junior Trey Princiotto (1-0) captured the win by tossing 4.2 innings of relief on the mound. The right-hander allowed just three hits and one run, while striking out eight batters and walking just one.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Limestone scored three runs with two outs in the top of the first inning and led, 4-1, after 2 ½ innings, but the Trojans answered by chipping away with a pair of runs in their half of the third to trim the Saints' lead to 4-3.
LU added three more runs in the top of the fifth frame, while the Black and Gold countered by batting around and erupting for four runs in the bottom of the fifth, with two of the runs crossing the plate on Fox's two-out double to the gap in left-center.
The Saints scored their final run of the contest in the sixth on sophomore Clark Burroughs' second solo home run of the day over the fence in left field, but AU capitalized on a lead-off double by Andress, a triple off Vella's bat and a single by James LeGrand to take their first lead, at 9-8.
The Trojans added three runs in the seventh inning and two more in the eighth to seal the win, while Princiotto limited the Saints to just a pair of singles over the final three innings.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE DAY
The Trojans recorded five extra-base hits on the day, including a pair of triples.
NOTABLES
• The Trojans' have won their first four games of the season for the first time since at least the 1998 campaign.
• The fourth inning was the only full inning that did not see a run scored.
• Seven Trojan batters posted at least two hits.
• Jackson Van Ness, Nick Vella, Kye Andress and James LeGrand are all riding four-game hitting streaks.
• The Trojans are 13-for-14 in stolen bases.
UP NEXT
Anderson and Limestone will square off again on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium, with first-pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.
