HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Junior William Thomas' single up the middle plated Joseph Strange with the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth inning and senior hurler Chris Ayers retired the Cobras in order in the bottom of the inning, as the Anderson University baseball team closed out its three-game South Atlantic Conference series with by topping Coker, 4-3, Sunday afternoon at Tom J. New Field.
Anderson improved to 10-25 overall and 6-12 in the league with its second conference series win in two weeks. Coker fell to 19-13 overall and 9-9 in the conference.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Senior Xavier Peralta was 3-for-4 on the afternoon, including his second triple of the season. Junior shortstop Tyler Miller was 3-for-5, with three singles and scored twice, while freshman Avery Green was 2-for-4 and Joseph Strange added two hits, including a double. Thomas notched two singles and drove in two runs, including the game-winner.
Junior Andrew Dill drew the start on the mound and scattered six hits over seven full innings. The right-hander allowed two earned runs while fanning eight Cobras and walking three. Senior Evan Small (2-1) gave up a run in an inning of relief, while being credited with the win and Ayers earned his first save of the season in his first relief appearance of the year. He notched two strikeouts in the perfect ninth inning.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Miller led off the game with a single to center field and scored on freshman Dillon Carpenter's one-out single to right, giving the Trojans a 1-0 lead after a half-inning.
AU claimed a 2-0 advantage when Miller scored again in the top of the third. The Anderson, S.C., native singled to right with one out, moved to third on Green's single to right and crossed the plate when Thomas bounced into a fielder's choice.
The Cobras cut AU's lead in half with a run in the bottom of the third, but the Trojans answered with a run in the top of the sixth when Avery Sneed walked with one out and scored on Peralta's triple to center. Coker matched the run with one of their own in the bottom of the frame and knotted the score at 3-3 with yet another solo run in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Joseph Strange opened AU's final at-bat by pulling a double down the left-field line and Miller moved him to third with a fly ball to right field. Two batters later, Thomas ripped a single back up the middle to plate Strange with the go-ahead run.
STAT OF THE DAY
Thomas is tied for eighth in the conference with 10 stolen bases on the season.
NOTABLES
• Thomas had two stolen bases on the afternoon and is 10-for-11 on the season.
• Thomas leads the Trojans with 17 multiple-hit games on the season.
• Miller has 13 multi-hit games and Carpenter has 11.
• Peralta has a five-game hitting streak.
UP NEXT
The Trojans are slated to visit North Greenville for a midweek nonconference contest, Wednesday night. First-pitch in Tigerville, S.C. is slated for 6 p.m.
