ANDERSON, S.C. – A trio of crooked number innings from the Anderson University (24-24) baseball team and a brilliant starting effort from senior Ivan Vanbeverhoudt Jr. (Orlando, Fla.) on the mound gave the Trojans the 7-6 win over Mars Hill (18-32) in their final regular season matchup of the year on Tuesday, April 30 at Anderson Memorial Stadium.
Seniors Luke Poole (Greenwood, S.C.), Carlos Hernandez (Maracay, Venezuela) and Kye Andress (Hendersonville, N.C.) each recorded a pair of hits on the day with Poole tallying a pair of RBIs in the game as well as Hernandez and Andress pitching in one of their own. Fellow senior Anthony Pandolfi (Hicksville, N.Y.) and freshman Zach Stover (Powdersville, S.C.) each added an RBI to the Trojans tally in the game. Vanbeverhoudt Jr. went four and a third to start the game for the Trojans, fanning six batters along the way. Graduate Matt Dooley (Lexington, S.C.) picked up the win after pitching two innings and striking out a pair with fellow graduate Ryan Brash (Aiken, S.C.) picking up the save in relief.
Anderson posted their first crooked number of the evening in the first inning as a pair of singles and a walk loaded the bags for the Black and Gold as well as drove in the first run of the frame. Pandolfi recorded his lone RBI of the contest with an infield single to bring the early advantage up to 2-0. Mars Hill responded with a solo long ball in the top of the second, with the Trojans matching that performance and besting it in the bottom of the fifth as Poole blasted a two-run shot to left center field to give the Trojans the 4-1 lead.
A pair of runs in the sixth and a single run in the seventh for the Lions brought the contest back level, but Anderson again was able to respond in the bottom of the frame to retake the advantage at 5-4. The Trojans added two more runs in the eighth to further increase their advantage to 7-4 and had to fend off a late push from Mars Hill but were able to stop their comeback a run short of forcing the bottom half of the ninth as the Trojans wrapped up the 7-6 win.
