MARS HILL, N.C. - The Anderson softball team split with South Atlantic Conference opponent Mars Hill, 6-5 and 11-2, Wednesday afternoon at Ponder Field.

Anderson moves to 24-10 on the season and 4-4 in SAC play, Mars Hill posts a 9-16 overall record and 3-5 in conference action.

GAME #1
Mars Hill 6, Anderson 5 (8 innings)

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Freshmen Madison Bivins and Michaela Smith both went 2-for-4 in game one with Smith recording one RBI. Junior Augie Pena and sophomore Rachael Barefield went 1-for-2 with each blasting a home run in the contest. Middle infielders Carli Hurtado and Kasey Grant posted a hit apiece to give the Trojans a total of eight hits in the opener.

Pena pitched a no-decision giving up three home runs and seven hits in five innings of work. Sophomore Randee Bettis (5-3) suffered her third loss of the season after coming in relief to pitch two and a third innings.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Game one was headlined by a total of five home runs hit between the two teams. Mars Hill accounted for three long balls while Anderson claimed two in the opening contest.

The Lions took the early lead in the bottom of the first on sophomore's Taylor Lail's solo shot to left field. The Trojans answered back in the top half of the second inning with two home runs of their own. Bivins led off with an infield single setting up the two-run home run by Pena to take a 2-1 lead. Lauren Rudesheim recorded the second out of the inning bringing Rachael Barefield to the plate with two outs. Barefield drilled her seventh home run of the season over the center field fence to push the Trojans lead to 3-1.

Mars Hill would tie the game with a two run third inning highlighted by a two run shot to left center. Anderson would add another run in the top of the fifth to go ahead 4-3, but the lead was short lived as the Lions hit their third home run of the day to overtake the Trojans, 5-4 after five complete innings.

Anderson was able to score one run in the top of the sixth to knot the game up at five all. Neither team could produce a run in the seventh frame sending the game into extra innings. Junior Shelby Culler, who entered the game in seventh inning, shut the Trojans down by continuing her solid pitching in relief.

The Lions were able to capitalize on an error and a single up the middle to score the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning.

GAME #2
Anderson 11, Mars Hill 2 (6 innings)

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
The Trojans pounded out 10 hits in the nightcap to help defeat Mars Hill, 11-2. Leading the way at the plate were a host of Black and Gold recording two hits apiece. Pena, Hurtado, and Niles each went 2-for-4 while Barefield went 2-for-3 after going 1-for-2 in game one.

Adding to the hit total in game two was senior Molly Child going 1-for-4 while scoring two runs and Bivins batting 1-for-3 with one run scored.

Rudesheim (11-4) tossed a three-hitter with one walk and three strikeouts in six innings of work.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Anderson scored four runs in the first and four runs in the third inning to take an 8-2 lead. The Trojans added three more runs on three solo home runs to set the final score, 11-2. Niles hit her seventh home run of the year in the fifth inning followed by back to back round trippers by Pena and Barefield in the sixth inning. The Lions were unable to find an answer for the Black and Gold hitters as they pitched four different pitchers in the nightcap.

ANDERSON STAT OF THE DAY
Anderson's five total home runs hit on the day are the most home runs hit since belting five out at Wingate on March 28, 2012.

NOTABLES
• Bivins is batting .480 in conference play with an impressive overall batting average of .326 while batting as low as .143 earlier this season.
• Niles has had at least one hit in 28 out of 34 games this year.
• The Trojans snapped a three game skid with the win in game two. The last time Anderson had lost three in a row was in April of 2012.
• Anderson is 3-2 in extra inning games.

UP NEXT
Anderson returns home for a brief two-game stand when it welcomes conference opponent Queens on Saturday. First pitch is slated at 2 p.m. at the AU Softball Complex.