HICKORY, N.C. – Sophomore Mac Ketchin (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) recorded four RBIs on the day as the Anderson University (20-24, 9-18 SAC) split the day in a road doubleheader with the Bears of Lenoir-Rhyne (27-19, 14-13 SAC) on Saturday, April 20.
Ketchin was able to record his four RBIs split evenly across the two contests as well as his four hits on the day split in the same way. Senior Carlos Hernandez (Maracay Venezuela), sophomore Gray Wells (Chapin, S.C.), freshman Zach Stover (Powdersville, S.C.) and sophomore Cannon Dorsey (Columbia, S.C.) were each able to record an RBI on the day as well. Freshman Corben Childers (Spartanburg, S.C.) was able to pick up the win in the opening contest in relief, allowing just one run in an inning and two-thirds. Junior Ben Smith (Cleveland, Tenn.) started the contest and allowed just three runs over seven innings of action.
GAME ONE: Anderson 6, Lenoir-Rhyne 5
A sacrifice fly by Wells in the opening inning and a two RBI-single by Ketchin in the top of the second saw the Trojans take the early 3-0 lead in the opening contest. Lenoir-Rhyne was able to scratch across a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth, but the Trojans were able to maintain their lead after that frame, 3-2. However, a pair of solo shots in the bottom of the eighth swung the lead over to LR at 4-3.
Anderson was able to capitalize on a bases loaded opportunity in the top of the ninth as they were able to score three runs in the frame with an RBI-single by Dorsey and a two-run single by senior Kye Andress (Hendersonville, S.C.) to move the lead back to the top line of the scoreboard. LR was able to get a run back in the bottom half of the inning, but Childers shut them down at that point, securing the 6-5 win.
GAME TWO: Lenoir-Rhyne 9, Anderson 4
In a similar storyline to the opening contest, the Trojans were able to jump out to a two run advantage in the opening frame with a pair of RBI-singles from Hernandez and Stover to give them the early 2-0 lead. LR chipped into their lead in the second with a single run while a three-run shot in the third gave the Bears the lead for good at 4-2. LR added a single run in the fourth and a pair of runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings to increase their lead to 9-2. Anderson was able to get two runs back in the top of the seventh inning through a two RBI-single from Ketchin that brought the score to its final 9-4 margin.
The Trojans now turn their attention to their final conference series of the season at home against UVA Wise starting on Friday, April 26 at 6:00 p.m.
