ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson University baseball team opened the season by sweeping King, 13-8 and 10-8, Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
"Great team wins tonight," said Anderson's PJ Zocchi following his head coaching debut. "I'm extremely happy with the energy the guys had today. We used a lot of young players who showed they are ready to compete. I want to thank the Lord for giving me this opportunity to lead."
With the sweep, Anderson improved to 7-1 all-time against the Tornado after taking two-of-three in the 2018 season-opening series and sweeping last year's three-game set at Memorial Stadium.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Game #1
Anderson 13, King 8
Senior Matthew Overton was 2-for-4 with two triples and a pair of RBI in the opener, while sophomore Logan Jackson added a pair of singles in four at-bats. Senior Dillon Carpenter went 2-for-4 and added a walk, with junior Dalton Shaw notching a triple in his first at-bat before leaving with an injury. Senior Daniel Blazejewski posted a walk and a double, while junior Chandler Castleberry went 2-for-5 in the opener. Sophomore Jacob Kohns doubled, drew a walk and scored both times.
Sophomore right-hander Lucas Smith earned the win after tossing six full innings and surrendering five runs. He allowed seven hits, while striking out six batters. Senior Christian Carpenter garnered his first save of the season by notching the final two outs of the contest.
Game #2
Anderson 10, King 8
Dillon Carpenter was 2-for-2, with a two-run homer, a two-run double and a pair a walks in the nightcap, while junior outfielder Nick Vella was 3-for-4, with a single, a double and a triple. The Queens, N.Y., native also reached on an error. Kohns notched a triple and a walk in four trips to the plate.
Freshman left-hander Ethan Stalnecker captured the win with 3 2/3 innings of relief. He allowed one run on two hits, while fanning two batters and walking just one. Christian Carpenter his second save in as many appearances by working the final inning and striking out two of the four batters he faced.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
King jumped out to an early, 1-0, lead on senior Austin Meyer's two-out homer in the top of the first, but the Trojans countered by sending 15 batters to the plate and scoring nine runs in the bottom of a 45-minute first inning. AU hitters posted three triples during the decisive outburst.
The Tornado posted another solo run in the second inning, with AU building a double-digit, 12-2, cushion with a run in the second and two more in the bottom of the third.
After each team scored single runs in the fourth inning, King added two more in the fifth and wrapped up the scoring with three runs in the seventh.
The Tornado made it interesting in the top of the ninth by loading the bases with one out, but Carpenter came out of the bullpen to induce a game-ending 6-4-3 double play.
Game 2
The Tornado jumped ahead early with five runs in the top of the first, but the Trojans answered with four quick runs in the bottom of the frame - two coming on Dillon Carpenter's two-run homer over the right-field wall.
King knotted the score on the strength of two fourth inning doubles, with AU taking a lead it would not relinquish with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to claim a 9-6 edge.
The Tornado drew within 9-8 on the strength of two runs in the fifth, but AU added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth on Vella's clutch two-out triple.
STAT OF THE DAY
King out-hit the Trojans, 23-22, on the day but committed nine errors.
NOTABLES
• The two teams combined to use 18 pitchers on the afternoon.
• The PJ Zocchi era at AU has gotten off to a successful start with the back-to-back wins.
UP NEXT
The Trojans and Tornado will wrap up the three-game series with a Sunday afternoon contest. First-pitch at Memorial Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m.
