NEWBERRY, S.C. - Junior Paul Como and freshmen Chris Ayers and Steven Cooper combined for 10 hits and four RBI, as the Anderson baseball team wrapped up a three-game South Atlantic Conference series by outpacing Newberry, 8-7 and 4-2, Saturday afternoon at the Smith Road Complex.

Anderson improved to 12-27 overall and 6-15 in the conference with its third win in the last five games and has now won two of its last three weekend conference series. Newberry fell to 21-17 overall and 9-10 in the league, while having its win streak halted at three.

Game #1
Anderson 8, Newberry 7

Ayers was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, including a two-run single in the fourth inning and also added a sacrifice bunt in the sixth. Como notched a pair of singles and a double, while scoring three times, including what proved to be the winning run on a Newberry error in the top of the ninth inning with nobody out. Senior Erick Sanderson recorded a double and scored twice.

Sophomore hurler Landon Beck (1-2) earned the win for the Trojans, tossing 3 1/3 innings of scoreless one-hit baseball in relief, while striking out three and walking two.

Alex Roberts (2-4) absorbed the loss in relief for Newberry. He surrendered one run off two hits in 1 1/3 innings of work.

Newberry quickly jumped out to a 3-0 lead after one inning, with two of the runs crossing the plate on Ryan Cranmer's one-out homer over the center-field fence. But Anderson answered with a run in the top of the second inning, with Sanderson leading off with his ninth double of the season. Ayers' one-out single plated Sanderson.

The Trojans took a 5-3 lead with a four-run fourth inning, as Sanderson was hit by a pitch to start the frame and two batters later, Como pulled a double down the left-field line to put two runners in scoring position. Ayers' second single of the contest plated both runners. The Trojans capitalized on a pair of Newberry errors to add two additional runs.
Newberry evened the score at five apiece with two runs in the bottom of the frame and claimed a brief 6-5 lead with another run in the fifth inning.

Anderson notched two runs in the sixth to regain a 7-6 lead, as Como and Price singled and both scored on another Newberry error.

The Wolves knotted the score with another solo run in the bottom of the sixth, but Como led off the eighth inning with a single to left and moved to third on Ayers' single through the left side. Como then crossed the plate with the go-ahead run on a failed pickoff attempt and Beck held the Newberry lineup hitless over the final two frames.

Game #2
Anderson 4, Newberry 2

Cooper was 2-for-4, with a pair of singles and an RBI, while freshman Stephen McKnight added a two-run single in the fifth inning and an eighth-inning walk. Ayers and Tony Price each recorded singles in the nightcap.

Junior right-hander Thomas Goodman (3-3) notched his second complete-game performance of the season, limiting the Wolves to four hits and two runs over the eight-inning stint. He struck out four and walked four.

Matt Jolly (0-1) took the loss for the Wolves, giving up a run and walking one while facing one batter in the extra frame.

Newberry scored solo runs in the second and fourth innings to take a 2-0 lead, but the Trojans rallied with two runs in the fifth inning, when Ayers led off with a single, Jonathan Zalud followed with a walk and McKnight pulled a bases-loaded single through the right-side to plate both runners.

AU snapped the tie with two runs in the top of the first extra frame, with McKnight drawing a lead-off walk. He went to second on Brett Cash's sacrifice bunt and scored the go-ahead run on Josh Hickman's double down the right-field line. Hickman then crossed the plate on Cooper's single to right.

Goodman limited the Wolves to two baserunners over the final four innings.

Anderson travels to nationally second-ranked Lander on Tuesday. First-pitch versus the Bearcats in Greenwood is slated for 6 p.m.