ANDERSON, S.C. – Behind stellar pitching and timely hitting in the nightcap, the Anderson baseball team bounced back to win the second game of a nonconference doubleheader with Erskine, 4-2, after dropping the opening game, 4-3, Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
Anderson moved to 8-8 on the season, while Erskine went to 11-7 with the split.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Game #1
Erskine 4, Anderson 3 (9 innings)
The Trojan offense made the most of just four hits in the opener, with senior Nick Vella reaching base on a first-inning double and a third-inning walk, while senior Tyler Berry notched his first triple of the season in the first inning. Junior Jacob Kohns and freshman Brayden Owens each posted singles.
Senior Brent Reynolds (0-1) took the loss after working two innings of relief on the mound. The left-hander allowed one run on two hits, while striking out three and walking three.
Game #2
Anderson 4, Erskine 2 (9 innings)
Berry had a two-run single in the pivotal third inning, while senior Trevor Weisner added a pair of singles. Senior Cody Adams was 1-for-2, with a single and two walks. The Saluda, S.C., native also scored once and drove in a run. Junior Chandler Castleberry reached base three times after being hit by a pitch twice and drawing a walk.
Junior Lucas Smith drew the start in the nightcap and went 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander scattered eight hits and allowed just two runs, while striking out eight and issuing one walk. Sophomore Joseph Cottone fanned two batters and did not allow a hit in 1 1/3 innings of relief, with senior Christian Carpenter earning his third save of the season after shutting down the Flying Fleet in the ninth inning.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
The Trojans struck early when Vella pulled a double into right field with one out and crossed the plate when Berry followed by lacing a shot to left-center that got past the Erskine outfielders and rolled nearly all the way to the fence, as Berry cruised into third base.
Two batters later, Bray's sacrifice fly into left field was deep enough to bring Berry home from third to give AU an early 2-0 advantage.
It was Vella again in the third, when he led off the bottom of the inning with a walk and moved to third on back-to-back wild pitches by Erskine hurler Allan Saathoff. He crossed the plate two batters later on Castleberry's sacrifice fly to center field.
But the Trojan bats went silent over the final six innings, while the Flying Fleet capitalized on a lead-off single and back-to-back home runs in the top of the sixth to knot the score at 3-3 and Erskine pushed the go-ahead run across by sending seven batters to the plate in the seventh frame.
Game 2
The Trojans again jumped out to an early 3-0 lead – this time with three runs in the bottom of the third. Vella drove in the first run when he bounced out to the right side with bases loaded, then Berry drove in two more when he singled back up the middle.
AU built its lead to 4-0 with a solo run in the fourth, when Jacob Kohns led off with a walk, moved into scoring position on Owens' sacrifice bunt and scored on Adams' single.
The Flying Fleet cut AU's lead in half with solo runs in the fifth and seventh innings, but Cottone and Carpenter combined to hold the Fleet without a base runner over the final two innings.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE DAY
Trojan hurlers walked just one batter out of the 36 hitters faced in the nightcap.
NOTABLES
• The Trojans are 4-4 at home and 4-4 on the road this season.
• AU is 2-2 against nonconference opponents this season.
• Brayden Owens and Trevor Weisner lead the Trojans with four multi-hit games apiece.
• Tyler Berry is riding a three-game hitting streak.
• Nick Vella has reached base safely in all 16 games.
• With 17 K's, the Trojan pitching staff equaled its third-highest doubleheader total of the season.
UP NEXT
Anderson travels to Georgia College on Tuesday looking to avenge an earlier 11-2 setback to the nationally-ranked Bobcats, before returning to the Electric City for a four-game conference homestand against Lenoir-Rhyne. First-pitch vs. the Bobcats in Milledgeville, Ga., is slated for 5 p.m.
