Box Score
Box score
WINGATE, N.C. - Led by sophomore Steven Cooper's 4-for-5
performance with his first home run of the season, Anderson
University baseball earned a narrow 10-9 win over Wingate in South
Atlantic Conference action Sunday afternoon at Ron Christopher
Stadium.
With the victory, the Trojans improve to 7-5 in SAC action on
the year, while Wingate stumbles to 15-4 overall and 10-4 for the
league. AU avoided the sweep to the Bulldogs, who claimed both
games of the doubleheader on Saturday.
Cooper sets a new season-high with his four hits on the
afternoon and blasted his first home run of the year over the right
field wall in the first inning, giving the Trojans a 2-0 advantage
to begin the contest. The sophomore also tallied his 10th double of
the 2014 campaign and finished the afternoon with a season-high
five RBI and two runs scored.
Senior center fielder Josh Hickman followed Cooper with three
hits with an RBI and a run scored, while the trio of Brett Cash,
Kyle Bailey and Paul Como each notched two hits, highlighted by
Como's team-leading 11th double of the season. Designated hitter
Jonathan Zalud also added the team's third double of the day.
Reliever JT Trujillo earned the win, coming on for junior Landon
Beck in the fifth inning. Beck completed four innings and struck
out four Bulldogs, while giving up two earned runs, both coming in
the first inning. Following Trujillo, junior right-hander Evan
Jordan completed three innings and struck out three hitters,
earning his first save of the year.
After the score reached 2-2 after two innings, the Trojans
crossed three runs in the top of the third inning, as Cooper
singled to bring in Cash. Two batters later, Zalud doubled to right
field, scoring Cooper and Bailey, giving Anderson a 5-2
advantage.
The Trojans tallied another run in the fourth and scored three
more in the seventh, highlighted by doubles from Como and Cooper.
Despite the 9-3 lead, the Bulldog offense came alive in the
bottom-half. Wingate totaled five hits for five runs in the
seventh, headlined by Shane Billings' double, scoring Blake Prince.
With the five-run inning, WU pulled within one run at 9-8.
After Como was hit by a pitch in the eighth inning, Hickman
singled up the middle, brining Como home for the eventual
game-winning run.
Wingate tried to repeat Saturday's heroics in the ninth inning,
but was held to just one run after Jordan struck out Prince to
close the game. With Jordan's three strikeouts on the afternoon,
the right-hander ties his season-high, while tying his season-high
in innings pitched.
Anderson returns to action next weekend when it continues its
SAC road trip at Catawba. The three-game set is scheduled to begin
on Friday at 6 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Saturday,
starting at 1 p.m.