ANDERSON, S.C. – In their first meeting since the 2018 season, Lander out-hit the Trojans and used a four-run third inning to deal Anderson its first loss of the season, 8-6, in nonconference baseball action, Tuesday night at Stephen B. Dolny Stadium.
Anderson (11-1) scored solo runs in four of the final five innings but it wasn't enough to overcome the Bearcats' four-run third inning. Lander improved to 4-6 on the season and has won three of its last five outings, including an 8-4 decision over Queens and an 8-1 victory past 15th-ranked Newberry last Friday.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Junior catcher Carlos Hernandez was 3-for-5 at the plate, with three singles and drive in four runs. Kye Andress reached base on a pair of walks and a ninth-inning single, while Luke Poole was 1-for-3, with a triple and also reached on a fourth-inning walk. Justin Fox was hit by a pitch twice and drew a seventh-inning walk, while crossing the plate twice. Jaxon Young scored one of the Trojans' runs, while Jackson Van Ness drove in a run.
Trey Princiotto (1-1) suffered the loss after allowing six runs on six hits in 2.1 innings, while striking out three and walking one.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Lander took a 2-0 lead after scoring solo runs in both the first and second innings, with the Trojans rallying to knot the score with two runs in the top of the third frame. Poole led off with his first triple of the season, with Andress following by drawing his second straight walk. Fox was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out and two batters later, Hernandez came through with a clutch two-out, two-run single back up the middle.
But the Bearcats countered with four runs in the bottom of the innings to take a lead they would not relinquish. The Trojans chipped away with solo runs in the fifth and sixth innings to trim the deficit to 6-4, while Lander scored again in the bottom of the sixth to rebuild its advantage to three.
Hernandez came through with another run-scoring single in the seventh, with Lander again offsetting the score with one of its own in the bottom of the eighth.
With AU trailing, 8-5, entering its last at-bat, Andress led off the inning with a single to left-center and moved to second on an error. He went to third when Fox flied out to right after a lengthy at-bat and crossed the plate when JC LeGrand bounced out to the right side of the infield, setting the final score.
NOTABLES
• The Trojans slipped to 2-1 on the road this season.
• The Trojans and Bearcats have met on 36 occasions, with Lander leading the all-time series, 24-12. The first-ever meeting between the two programs occurred during the 1998 campaign.
• Lander has won seven of the last nine matchups.
• The two teams combined to use 10 pitchers in the midweek contest.
• The two teams combined to strand 17 runners on base.
• Kye Andress extended his season-opening hitting streak to 12 games.
• Carlos Hernandez is riding a five-game hitting streak.
• Justin Fox has reached base safely in four straight games.
UP NEXT
Anderson will look to get back in win column when Southern Wesleyan invades the Electric City, Wednesday afternoon. First-pitch at Memorial Stadium is scheduled for 5 p.m.
