HARDEEVILLE, S.C. – Opening up their 2024 campaign, the Anderson University (0-1) baseball team traded big innings with the USC Beaufort (1-0) Sandsharks in the late goings of the season starter but fell on the unfavorable side of 10-7 decision on Friday, February 2.

Sophomore Gray Wells (Chapin, S.C.) led the team with three hits on the day, recording a pair of RBIs, matching the totals of senior Kye Andress (Hendersonville, N.C.) and freshman Zach Stover (Powdersville, S.C.) in the contest. Sophomore Braeden Harrison (Spartanburg, S.C.) was also able to record a multi-hit game, posting a pair. Graduate Trey Princiotto (Horseheads, N.Y.) pitched a solid game on the mound for the Trojans, allowing just three runs and four hits over his five and two-thirds innings of work. Senior Jonathan Duffie (Waynesboro, Ga.) fanned four batters in his 1.2 innings of action in relief.

The Trojans were able to capitalize on an early opportunity to score after a lead-off defensive miscue, Wells recorded his first RBI of the day, bringing in a run with a double to right center, giving Anderson the 1-0 lead after the first inning of action. However, the next few innings turned into a defensive struggle as neither team was able get a runner past second base until the sixth inning when the Sandsharks were able to swing the lead into their favor with a 3-run inning.

The Black and Gold responded in kind in the top of the seventh, hitting one of their team goals of a "big" inning, tallying six runs in the frame. A lead-off walk and a defensive miscue put two runners on the bags for the Trojans to start the inning before four straight singles by sophomore Mac Ketchin (Mount Pleasant, S.C.), Andress, Wells and senior Carols Hernandez (Maracay, Venezuela) posted three of the Trojans runs in the inning and forced USCB to their bullpen halfway through that stretch. A two-out single by Stover to left field brought around another pair of runs to give the Trojans the 7-3 lead after seven complete innings.

However, the Sandsharks responded in the eighth inning with a big inning of their own, swinging the lead back to the bottom of the eighth inning, posting seven runs and shutting out the Trojans in the top of the ninth to take the 10-7 win.

The two teams return to the diamond tomorrow for a doubleheader kicking off at 12:00 p.m.