HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Using solid pitching performances and timely hitting, Anderson swept a South Atlantic Conference baseball doubleheader, 8-2 and 7-2, with Coker Saturday afternoon at Tom J. New Field.
Anderson improved to 12-12 overall and 3-3 in conference play with the sweep, while Coker fell to 9-15 and 2-7 by dropping its seventh straight outing.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Game #1
Anderson 8, Coker 2
Freshman Gray Wells and senior Carlos Hernandez were both 3-for-5 with three singles in the opener and each scored a run, while Kevin Sosa added three singles, as well. The Deltona, Fla., native scored twice and drove in a run. Luke Poole was 2-for-4 and recorded a pair of RBI, while freshman Mac Ketchin posted a double and a single, while also reaching base on a third-inning error. Shortstop JC LeGrand posted a pair of singles and crossed the plate twice.
Nathan Sanders collected his second complete game of the season, while striking out a season-high nine batters and not walking a batter over the nine-inning span. He scattered 13 hits and only allowed the two runs.
Game #2
Anderson 7, Coker 2
Sophomore Anthony Pandolfi was 3-for-3 at the plate, with three singles and also reached base on a fourth-inning walk. He also drove in two runs. Wells was 3-for-4 in the nightcap, with three singles and a run scored, while LeGrand added a double, a single and a walk in five trips to the plate. He also crossed the plate twice. Junior Kye Andress added a walk and a single, while scoring a run and notching an RBI.
Senior Austin Mercado (2-0) captured his second win of the season by tossing AU's second straight complete game – and third complete game of the year. He scattered five hits over his longest stint of the season and held Coker without a hit, while allowing just one Cobra to reach scoring position over the final four innings. The Bronx, N.Y., native struck out one batter and issued one free pass.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
The Trojans sent 18 batters to the plate over the first three innings en route to building a 7-1 lead. AU posted an unearned run in the top of the fifth, while Coker answered with a run in the bottom of the sixth to finish the scoring in the opener.
Game 2
The Trojans, who erupted for five runs in the top of the first and never looked back, sent 10 batters to the plate, with LeGrand getting it started with a leadoff double to right. Two batters later he moved to third on Wells' single and scored on a wild pitch. Wells had moved into scoring position on the errant pitch and he crossed the plate when the Cobra defense was unable to get Hernandez out. Brayden Owens followed with a walk to get two runners on with still just one out. Andress followed with a run-scoring single, with Owens getting thrown out at third while Hernandez scored. Andress then swiped second base and scored AU's fourth run on Ketchin's clutch two-out double to left field. He rounded out the scoring when Pandolfi singled to center.
Coker countered with a two-out home run in the bottom of the inning off the bat of Nick Leonard and following a scoreless second frame, the Cobras trimmed AU's lead to three with another solo run in the bottom of the third, with the Trojans responding by rebuilding their advantage to four (6-2) with an unearned run in their half of the fourth when LeGrand scored on another Cobra error.
Neither team managed to push across a run in either the fifth or sixth innings, with Andress leading off the top of the seventh with a walk and boosting AU's lead to 7-2 after moving to second on Ketchin's sacrifice bunt and scoring on Pandolfi's single to left.
NOTABLES
• The last time the Trojans swept a conference series was last April – against Coker.
• Prior to last season, the last time the Trojans swept a three-game SAC series was during the 2018 season – against the Cobras.
• JC LeGrand has reached base safely in 18 consecutive games.
• The Trojans improved to 5-3 on the road this season.
• Coker slipped to 5-7 at home on the season.
• Anderson leads the overall series with the Cobras, 46-32.
• The Trojans have won nine of the last 13 matchups.
UP NEXT
The Trojans will step of out conference play for a midweek matchup against Conference Carolinas'-foe Emmanuel on Tuesday. AU will be looking to avenge an earlier, 5-4, setback to the Lions, suffered last month.
First-pitch is set for 5 p.m. at Anderson Memorial Stadium.
