ANDERSON, S.C. – After enduring a delay of more than three hours in the opener, the Anderson University baseball team rallied for an 8-6 win in the first game, while dropping the nightcap, 8-0, as the Trojans split a South Atlantic Conference twinbill with Lenoir-Rhyne, Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Anderson moved to 5-9 overall and 1-2 in the conference, while Lenoir-Rhyne moved to 13-3 overall and 2-1 in league action.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Game #1
Anderson 8, Lenoir-Rhyne 6
Junior Zach McIlroy was 3-for-4 in the opener, with a double and a pair of singles, while scoring three times. Fellow junior William Thomas added three singles and drove in three runs, while freshman Avery Green was 2-for-5 with a pair of singles. Freshman Joseph Strange notched a fourth-inning single and a sixth inning walk and scored both times – including the go-ahead run in the sixth inning. Senior Avery Sneed hammered his first home run of the season in the second inning, with junior Michael Rochester recording two RBI.
Junior Andrew Dill (1-1) earned his first win in relief. The right-hander tossed 3 2/3 shutout innings, while striking out five and not issuing a walk.
Game #2
Lenoir-Rhyne 8, Anderson 0
McIlroy posted the Trojans lone hit in the nightcap with a double to right field in the fifth inning.
Senior Chris Ayers (2-1) absorbed the loss after surrendering five runs on seven hits in six innings of work. He struck out six and walked just one.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
Rochester drew a two-out walk in the first inning, moved into scoring position when Dillon Carpenter was hit by a pitch and crossed the plate when Tyler Miller went the opposite way with a single to right.
The Bears knotted the score at one apiece with a run in the top of the second, while the Trojans pushed out to a 3-1 advantage with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second after Sneed led off by clubbing his homer and McIlroy followed with his second double of the season. McIlroy crossed the plate two batters later when Thomas singled through the left side.
Lenoir-Rhyne trimmed AU's lead to 3-2 with another solo run in the third and claimed a 6-3 edge with a four-run fourth inning. But the Trojan defense would hold the Bears scoreless over the final five innings, while AU posted three runs in the sixth frame. McIlroy led off the inning with a single and Joseph Strange followed with a walk. Thomas followed by laying down a bunt single to load the bases with no outs. The game was then delayed for more than three hours, as the home plate umpire got dust in his eyes from the swirling winds and a replacement was called to Memorial Stadium.
Two batters after the contest resumed, Rochester grounded to the left side for what looked like a potential inning-ending double play, but the ball skipped into the outfield, scoring both McIlroy and Joseph Strange. Thomas came home when Carpenter bounced out to second.
Game 2
The Bears scored all the runs they needed with two in the second inning and added a solo run in the fourth inning and built a 5-0 advantage with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth frame.
AU threatened in the bottom of the fifth when McIlroy led off by lacing his double into right field and two batters later, Jackson Strange drew a walk. But L-R senior left-hander John Curtis preserved his gem by ending the Trojan threat with back-to-back strikeouts.
The Bears added three runs in the top of the seventh to set the final score.
UP NEXT
Anderson will get back on the diamond Tuesday, when the Trojans visit Limestone. First-pitch in Gaffney, S.C., is slated for 5 p.m.
