ANDERSON, S.C. – After enduring a rain delay of nearly 90 minutes, the Anderson University baseball team split a nonconference doubleheader with Augusta Saturday afternoon, falling 13-3 in the opener and bouncing back to claim a 5-1 win in the nightcap, Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.
Anderson (3-5) snapped a four-game skid with the win in the nightcap, while Augusta moved to 3-5 on the season with the results.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Game #1
Augusta 13, Anderson 3
Junior Michael Rochester posted two of the Trojans seven hits in the opener, with senior Avery Sneed driving in a pair of runs with a two-out single in the seventh inning.
Senior Ryan Owens (1-1) suffered his first loss of the season after surrendering eight runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings of work on the mound. The right-hander struck out five and walked three.
Game #2
Anderson 5, Augusta 1
Rochester was 2-for-3 in the nightcap, with a pair of singles and scored once. Zach McIlroy was 1-for-2 with a walk, an RBI and one run scored.
Senior Xavier Peralta added a third inning double and crossed the plate once. Freshman Avery Green drove in three runs on the afternoon.
Senior Chris Ayers improved to 2-0 on the season, while tossing four complete innings and striking out seven batters, including four Jaguars who were caught looking. The hard-throwing right-hander scattered three hits and issued just two walks and did not allow a run.
Junior right-hander Andrew Dill earned his first save of the season with three innings of relief. He gave up one run on four hits, while striking out five and walking two.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
The Jaguars posted solo runs in each of the first three innings to take a lead they would not relinquish, while erupting for seven runs in the fourth inning and adding two more in the fifth frame to build a 12-0 cushion.
AU avoided the shutout with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, with Sneed's two-out, two-RBI single to right-center highlighting the frame.
Augusta added another run in the top of the eighth inning to set the final score.
Game 2
Ayers set the tone in the nightcap by striking out the side in the top of the first inning and limiting Augusta to just three baserunners through the first three innings.
Peralta led off the bottom of the third inning with a double to right-center, moved to third when Joseph Strange bounced out to the shortstop and crossed the plate when Green grounded out to third.
After giving up a double and a single to lead off the fourth inning, Ayers worked out of a bases-loaded jam by fanning the final two Jaguar batters. AU sent eight batters to the plate in the bottom of the inning, capitalizing on a pair of singles and two walks to claim a 3-1 advantage.
The Jaguars responded with one run in their half of the fifth inning, with the Trojans countering with two runs in the bottom of the sixth on Green's two-RBI single to right field.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE DAY
Dill's save in the nightcap was the Trojans' first of the season.
NOTABLES
• Rochester leads the Trojans with a .458 batting average and has two base hits in each of his last five games.
• Ayers has allowed just one earned run in nine innings of work.
• Dillon Carpenter has reached base safely in seven of AU's eight games.
• Miller has also reached base safely in seven of AU's eight games.
UP NEXT
The Trojans and Jaguars wrap up their three-game weekend series, Sunday at Lake Olmstead Park in Augusta, Ga. First-pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
