ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson baseball team opened South Atlantic Conference action by splitting a doubleheader with Coker, with the Trojans winning game one, 6-1, and dropping the nightcap, 10-7, in extra innings, Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
Anderson moved to 8-4 overall and 1-1 in the SAC, while Coker improved to 7-7 and 1-1 with the win in the nightcap.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Game #1
Anderson 6, Coker 1
Junior Chandler Castleberry was 4-for-5 in the opener, with two doubles and a pair of singles. The Waxhaw, N.C., native drove in three runs and scored twice. Senior Matthew Overton belted his first home run of the campaign in the bottom of the fifth, with freshman catcher Ryan Brash reaching base on a single and a walk in four trips to the plate.
Sophomore right-hander Lucas Smith (3-0), the reigning SAC and Southeast Region Pitcher of the Week, made a bid for back-to-back honors after tossing his second nine-inning complete-game gem in as many outings. The native of St. Petersburg, Fla., scattered five hits over the nine innings while allowing just one run. He struck out six batters and walked just two, while allowing just three runners to reach scoring position.
"We couldn't have asked for a better start from Lucas after last week's complete game," said Anderson head coach P.J. Zocchi. "We talked about how this was the big one. He proved to me that he is a DAWG. Offensively we executed under our expectations but had some big hits when needed."
Game #2
Coker 10, Anderson 7
Junior Nick Vella was 2-for-3 in the nightcap, with a single, a double and a pair of walks and crossed the plate three times. Senior Dillon Carpenter added a pair of singles in four at-bats, with Daniel Blazejewski notching a double and a bunt single in four trips to the plate. Castleberry posted a three-run homer in the fourth inning and finished the game with four RBI.
Sophomore Kyle Rogers (1-1) - the sixth Trojan pitcher - absorbed the loss after allowing three runs on three hits in the eighth inning. The right-hander struck out one and walked one.
"It was a tough game that the hungrier team won," added Zocchi. "Offensively we didn't execute when we had opportunities and we didn't make big pitches throughout the game out of the bullpen. I look for the boys to be energized to win the series tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
The Trojans threatened in the bottom of the second inning, but came away empty-handed, while getting on the scoreboard with a solo run in the fourth inning and added another on Overton's shot over the fence in right-center an inning later.
AU gave Smith more than enough support with two more run in the seventh frame, while the Cobras finally broke through with a run in the top of the eighth to trim the Trojans' lead to 4-1. Castleberry's two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the eighth rounded out the scoring.
Game 2
The Trojans posted solo runs in the first and second innings and added two more to claim a 4-2 lead after three frames, but Coker countered with two runs in the fourth to knot the score at 4-4 before Castleberry's three-run homer high over the fence in left-center gave AU a 7-4 edge after four innings.
The Cobras drew within one by adding two more runs in the fifth and with the sixth inning the only frame that neither team managed to score a run, they sent the game into extra innings with a solo run in the top of the seventh.
Coker notched three runs with two outs in the top of the eighth and AU was unable to answer in the bottom of the inning.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE DAY
Castleberry was a combined 5-for-9 on the day, with a home run, a pair of doubles and seven RBI.
NOTABLES
• Smith's outing was his second consecutive nine-inning, complete-game victory in a week after throwing the first nine-inning complete game for the Trojans since former standout Austin Todd Austin threw a three-hit, nine-inning complete game in AU's 4-1 win over Catawba in the 2018 South Atlantic Conference Tournament. Thomas Goodman posted two during the 2014 campaign.
• With Matthew Overton's one-out home run in the bottom of the fifth inning in the opener, his mother Christie Overton became the ninth winner in the 22 years of the Palmetto Insurance Associates Jackpot Inning. She held the lucky ticket when Matthew - the second batter in the bottom of the fifth hit the ball over the fence for a home run. The ticket holder receives $500 from Palmetto Insurance Associates.
UP NEXT
The Trojans and Cobras are scheduled to wrap up the series with a single game, Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
