NEWBERRY, S.C. - With 10 hits for the game and a four-run eighth inning, Anderson University baseball opened its South Atlantic Conference schedule with a 7-1 victory over in-state rival Newberry Friday afternoon at the Smith Road Complex.

With the win, AU picks up its first win of the season and adds its first triumph in a conference opener since the 2013 season. The victory also gives the Trojans their first win over the Wolves since a doubleheader sweep in the same season. Newberry, which opened its season last Saturday, moves to 1-2 for the young campaign.

Seven of the nine hitters in the Trojan lineup recorded a hit on the afternoon, as catcher LJ Newman led the way with 3-for-4 performance adding a double and two runs scored. Sophomore first baseman Steven Cooper posted AU's final multi-hit game with a 2-for-4 afternoon with two runs scored.

The bottom of the Anderson lineup card shined, as the last five Trojan batters in the lineup all tallied a hit, headlined by shortstop Brett Cash's RBI triple and outfielder Stephen McKnight's RBI double to highlight the four-run eighth inning. For Cash, the triple is his second this season despite AU playing just three games up this point of the season.

The Newberry offense left 13 runners on base for the game, as the Trojan bullpen got out of three bases loaded jams in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Relievers Evan Jordan and Michael Skelly each pitched themselves out of those situations, as Skelly escaped the sixth and seventh innings without a Newberry runner crossing the plate.

Following Skelly's critical pitching performance, junior right-hander Mitchell Cooksey closed the door on the home side, pitching two shutout innings to seal the road conference victory.

Before the clutch pitching performances, the Trojans found the scoreboard first in the top of the fourth inning when Cooper singled to right center field to lead off the inning. Not to be outdone, Newman followed with a double down the right field line that would send Cooper to third.

After Cooper scored on a balk, designated hitter Travis Smith delivered a single to left field that would score Newman and give AU a 2-0 lead. The RBI was Smith's second of the season.

Anderson added to its lead in the seventh with a throwing error by the Newberry third baseman that would score Newman, putting the visitors ahead, 3-1.

Cash and McKnight would break the game open with their extra-base hits, putting the contest out of reach. Freshman Zach McIlroy would add Anderson's final run of the game with a single through the left side that would send McKnight home, capping off the hit spree. For McIlroy, the RBI was his first of his collegiate career.

Anderson looks to capture the road SAC series on Saturday with a doubleheader with the Wolves scheduled for 1 p.m.