ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson University baseball team wrapped up its five-game homestand by defeating Lake Erie, 8-3, and falling to Saginaw Valley, 8-2, Saturday night at Memorial Stadium.
"It was great to start the day with a win," said Anderson head coach P.J. Zocchi. "A strong starting performance from Boles and some timely hitting sealed the lead."
Anderson moved to 6-3 with the split decisions, while Lake Erie fell to 0-2 and Saginaw Valley improved to 2-0 on the season.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Game #1
Anderson 8, Lake Erie 3
Junior Dalton Shaw was 2-for-3 in the opener, with a double and an RBI-triple and was also hit by a pitch. Junior Chandler Castleberry reached base three times on walks and also singled, with senior Dillon Carpenter adding a pair of singles in five trips to the plate. Junior Nick Vella walked twice and scored both times.
Junior right-hander Elijah Boles (1-0) captured the win after scattering six hits and allowing just one run in seven innings of work. He struck out eight batters and walked just two.
Game #2
Saginaw Valley 8, Anderson 2
Vella was 1-for-3, with a double and a walk, while Castleberry tripled and drew a walk in four trips to the plate. Carpenter notched a first-inning run-scoring double. Sophomore Jacob Kohns posted a walk and a single in the nightcap.
Freshman Trace Furtick (1-2) absorbed the loss after surrendering three runs on four hits. The Cope, S.C., native struck out eight and issued just one free pass.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
After threatening to score in the bottom of the second, the Trojans erupted for four runs in the bottom of the third inning and never trailed.
The Storm responded with a solo run in the top of the fourth, but AU got that run back in the bottom of the fifth and took advantage of Shaw's one-out triple in the seventh inning to score twice and build a 7-1 advantage.
Lake Erie scored two in the top of the eighth, with AU capitalizing on a pair of walks and three wild pitches to add a run in the bottom of the inning.
Game 2
Vella and Carpenter each ripped run-scoring singles to fuel a two-run first inning, but AU's bats fell silent after the opening frame and the Trojans got just seven runners on base over the remaining eight innings – four on walks.
The Cardinals countered with two runs in the third inning, one each in the fourth and sixth frames and three more in the seventh before finishing out the scoring with a solo run in the final inning.
"Saginaw Valley was the hungrier team in the nightcap," added Zocchi. "Saginaw's offense kept pressure on our pitchers throughout the middle-to-late innings, we mixed in some defensive mistakes and were kept off balance all night in the box. I am proud of how we won the week but I failed to prepare the guys to bounce back for game two of the doubleheader. I have to do a better job of preparing the team to finish the weekend. We will get back to work on Monday."
NOTABLES
• Nick Vella leads the Trojans with six multiple-hit games.
• Dillon carpenter has hit safely in all nine games.
• Chandler Castleberry has reached base safely in all nine games.
UP NEXT
Saginaw Valley and Lake Erie will square off Sunday at noon at Memorial Stadium.
Admission to Trojan baseball games is free - No pets are allowed inside Memorial Stadium with the exception of service dogs.
Anderson is scheduled to get back in action, Wednesday afternoon at North Greenville. First-pitch is slated for 3 p.m.
