BELMONT, N.C. -- The Anderson baseball team dropped a
doubleheader to homestanding Belmont Abbey, falling in game one
11-6, and 10-9, in the nightcap. Belmont Abbey improved to 7-7
overall and 5-2 in Conference Carolinas, while Anderson slipped to
6-11 overall and 2-5 in Conference Carolinas. In the opener, the
Trojans trailed from the outset as the Abbey notched a run in the
first on an RBI double to left by Chris Vazquez that scored Roland
Rodriguez. Anderson knotted the game at one in the fourth when
center fielder Derek Hipp ripped one of his three hits in the
opener, a leadoff double to right field and scored when second
baseman Matt Hill followed with another double. But the Crusaders
responded with three in their half. Spencer Sobol ripped a one out
triple and scored on a double to right center by Ryan Ronda. Tim
Dye followed with a homer to right center to push the Abbey's lead
to 4-1. Belmont Abbey broke the game open with five runs in the
fifth as it took advantage of two Anderson errors. The big blow of
the inning came on a double to right by Josh Frazier, while Dye
plated another with a sacrifice fly. Both teams scored single runs
in the sixth, as Anderson's run came via a sacrifice fly by Trent
Still, and the Abbey matched it with a sacrifice fly of its own, as
Sobol brought home Justin Baxley. The Abbey added another run in
the seventh on a solo homer by Caleb Shore to move the lead to
11-2. Anderson scored the final four runs of the game, getting one
in the eighth and three more in the ninth, but the Abbey's lead was
too great. Tyler Powell earned the win after allowing three runs,
two earned, on six hits in eight innings. He struck out seven and
walked one. Brady Peele was charged with the loss after allowing
seven runs on seven hits in four and one-thirds innings, striking
out three and walking five. Rodriguez and Danny Brion both led the
Abbey with two hits apiece as the Crusaders totaled ten. Dye drove
in three runs. Anderson finished with 11 hits as Derek Hipp
finished three for five, while Matt Hill was three for four with
two RBI. In the seven inning nightcap, the Abbey trailed 9-2 in the
bottom of the sixth, but rallied to score the final eight runs of
the game, including six in the bottom of the seventh to earn the
win. In the bottom of the sixth, trailing 9-2, the Crusaders scored
twice, the first coming on a bases loaded walk to Daniel Torrente
that brought home Vazquez. Josh Frazier followed with a sacrifice
fly that plated Sobol to trim the margin to 9-4. Anderson went down
in order in the top of the seventh, and the Abbey scored six runs
in the bottom of the inning to pick up the win, with Matt Mazzolla
picking up a pinch-hit bloop single to right center that scored
Frazier with the winning run. The Abbey opened the game with a 1-0
lead in the first on a sacrifice fly by Brion, but the Trojans
scored five unanswered runs, two coming in the second and three
more in the third. Belmont Abbey closed the gap to 5-2 with a run
in the third on an RBI double by Vazquez, but Anderson scored three
more in the fourth, getting a solo homer by Hipp and a two-RBI
double by Blake May to extend the lead to 8-2. Anderson got one
more in the sixth on a solo homer by Ryan Saxon to move the lead to
9-2, but the Trojans would not score again. Brett DiPasquale earned
the win in three and two-thirds innings of relief, allowing two
runs on three hits. Canler Cox took the loss after allowing two
runs on four hits in a third of an inning. Rodriguez, Brion,
Vazquez and Sobol each had two of the Abbey's 13 hits. Ronda and
Frazier drove in two runs. May led Anderson with three hits while
Hipp, Still, Saxon and Jonathan Romano had two hits apiece. The
Trojans rapped out 14 for the game. Anderson wraps up the
three-game series with the Crusaders on Sunday, with first-pitch
scheduled for 1 p.m. Game 1 Game 2 Season
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