ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson baseball team wrapped up its South Atlantic Conference-opening weekend by splitting its second straight doubleheader with Lincoln Memorial, as the Trojans claimed the opener, 2-1, but dropped the nightcap, 9-7, Sunday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
Anderson moved to 3-2 overall and 2-2 in the league, while Lincoln Memorial went to 3-3 and 2-2.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Game #1
Anderson 2, Lincoln Memorial 1
Senior Tyler Berry was 1-for-2 at the plate and added a walk, while scoring AU's first run and driving in the eventual game-winning run, with senior Trevor Weisner going 2-for-3, with an RBI. Junior Dalton Shaw was 1-for-3 in the opener, with a run scored.
Joseph Cottone, Jr. turned in a stellar performance after drawing the start on the mound for the Trojans. The left-hander from Bethpage, N.Y., allowed just one run on three hits, while walking just one batter and striking out nine Railsplitters. Carpenter earned his first save of the season after limiting LMU to one hit over the final two innings.
Game #2
Lincoln Memorial 9, Anderson 7
Castleberry was 2-for-4 in the nightcap, with an RBI-single and a double, with Owens adding a pair of singles, two RBI and scoring twice. Fox was 2-for-5 in the nightcap and also reached on an error, while Berry was 1-for-2 and drove in two runs. Shaw reached base four times in five trips to the plate.
Sophomore right-hander Drew Hallgren absorbed the loss in relief after allowing a run and issuing a pair of walks in 1/3 of an inning.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
Cottone began the game by striking out three of the four batters he faced in the top of the first, while AU threatened in the bottom of the frame when Vella reached base on a fielder's choice and moved to third on back-to-back wild pitches with two outs, but he wound up stranded at third.
It was LMU's turn to threaten in the top of the third inning, as the Railsplitters posted back-to-back two-out singles, before Cottone worked out of the jam by striking out LMU's Tyler Adams for his sixth strikeout of the afternoon.
Norton returned the favor in the bottom of the frame, as AU's Weisner opened the bottom of the third with an infield single and Owens followed with a walk to get two Trojans on with no outs, but the Railsplitters' right-hander retired the Trojans on two consecutive strikeouts and a fly ball to center field.
The Railsplitters hit the ball hard in the top of the fourth, but Weisner made a pair of diving stops at the hot corner to help keep LMU off the base paths.
The Trojans broke through and got on the scoreboard in the in the home half of the fourth after again getting two runners on with one out. Berry drew a one-out walk and Fox followed with a single to left. Kohns then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position and with two outs, Weisner beat out an infield single that the LMU shortstop was unable to corral, as Berry crossed the plate with the game's first run.
LMU knotted the score with a run in the top of the fifth inning, but Dalton Shaw reached on an LMU error with one out and ended up at second base. Vella followed with a walk and Castleberry reached on a check-swing single that landed just behind the mound to load the bases with one out. Berry then beat out a chopper to the left side for a RBI-single that brought Shaw across the plate with the eventual winning run.
Senior closer Christian Carpenter entered the game in the top of the sixth and held the Railsplitters scoreless over the final two frames while fanning three of the six batters he faced.
"Cottone kept LMU hitters off balance through five innings," said Anderson head coach PJ Zocchi. "The key to the first game was attacking and getting ahead of hitters, then Carpenter came in shut the door. Offensively we did enough against a good arm (Norton) for LMU."
Game 2
The Trojans struck early and opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning by capitalizing on Berry's clutch double to left that brought home Shaw from third.
Lincoln Memorial countered with a four-run fourth that was fueled in part by back-to-back one-out home runs, while the Trojans rallied to knot the score at 4-4, when AU took advantage of a pair of one-out singles and an error by the Railsplitters to climb within two, and then drawing even on Owens' two-out, two-run single to center.
The Railsplitters regained a 5-4 edge in the top of the fifth without recording a hit after benefitting from a pair of walks, a wild pitch and a pair of ground outs and padded their lead to five with a four-run sixth inning.
AU climbed back within 9-6 with a two-run seventh inning, as Shaw and Vella each drew a walk to lead off the frame. Castleberry followed by going the other way for a single to right field to score Shaw, with Vella moving to third. Berry then lifted a fly ball to right that was deep enough to plate Vella.
Castleberry doubled off the right-field fence with one out in the bottom of the ninth and Berry drew a walk to get the tying run to the plate. After freshman Kevin Sosa came in to pinch run for Berry, Castleberry scored when Fox laced a single to right, but Sosa was called out at third and the Trojans were unable get any closer than the final two-run deficit.
"Two big innings put us behind, but offensively we battled and fought back," added Zocchi. "As a leader I have to do a better job of slowing the game down in situations as we try to figure out the four-games series. As a team we have to work hard on finishing the day."
NOTABLES
• Lincoln Memorial leads the overall series, 19-13.
• LMU has won eight of the last 11 matchups.
• Carpenter owns the school-record for career saves, with 21.
• Dalton Shaw and Justin Fox extended their hitting streaks to five games.
• Four Trojans have reached base safely in all five games.
UP NEXT
Following a five-day layoff, Anderson will get back on the diamond Saturday, for a four-game conference series at Coker. First-pitch in Hartsville is set for noon.
