HARDEEVILLE, S.C. – Wrapping up their opening weekend of the 2024 season, the Anderson University (1-2) baseball team was able to split the day against the Sandsharks of USC Beaufort (2-1) by scores of 7-5 and 4-6 on Saturday, February 3.

Senior Kye Andress (Hendersonville, N.C.) led the Trojans with six hits on the day with an RBI while senior Carlos Hernandez (Maracay, Venezuela) led the squad with a trio of RBIs between the doubleheader. Sophomore Gray Wells (Chapin, S.C.) added a pair of RBIs on two hits on the day. Junior Walker Noland (Marietta, Ga.) picked up the win in the first game of the twinbill allowing just one hit while striking out seven.

GAME ONE: Anderson 7, USC Beaufort 5

In the first game of the day the Trojans jumped out to an early lead with a three-run first inning with Wells driving in a pair in the third at-bat of the contest with a single through the left side to give Anderson the early 2-0 lead. Freshman Zach Stover (Powdersville, S.C.) hit into a defensive miscue in the late goings of the frame, costing the Sandshark defense another run on the board.

The game settled in with Noland working on the mound for the Trojans until the fourth inning when the Black and Gold were able to tack on another two runs to their tally off RBI-hits by Andress and Hernandez to stretch the lead to 5-0. Anderson added a run in each of the sixth and seventh innings to further bolster their lead to 7-0. USC Beaufort tried to make a comeback in the bottom of the ninth, as they were able to score five runs before senior Ivan VanBeverhoudt, Jr. (Orlando, Fla.) was able to pick up his first save of the year, recording all three outs in the ninth in relief to give the Trojans their first win of the year.

GAME TWO: USC Beaufort 6, Anderson 4

Anderson again was able to take an early lead with the Trojans scoring a run in the second and the third innings off RBI-singles, holding the 2-0 lead after three complete. The bottom of the fourth saw the Sandsharks level the contest at two with a pair of runs of their own, and they were able to follow that up with a pair of runs in each of the next two innings to better the Trojans single run in the top of the sixth, giving USCB the 6-3 advantage after the sixth inning.

A bases loaded one-out walk in the top of the eighth gave the Trojans another run on the scoreboard, leaving the bases loaded, but a strikeout and a fly out brought the Trojans comeback bid to a close as they dropped the second game of the day 6-4.

Anderson returns to action on Tuesday, February 6 as they make the short trip up to Central, S.C. to take on Southern Wesleyan with a 4:00 p.m. first pitch.