Box Score
Box score
HICKORY, N.C. - Despite a six-run seventh inning and 13 hits on
the day, the strong offensive performance was not enough as
Anderson University baseball fell in the rubber match of a
three-game South Atlantic Conference series to Lenoir-Rhyne, 11-8,
Sunday afternoon at Bears Field.
With the setback, the Trojans drop their second straight road
conference series and fall to 18-24 overall with a 12-15 record in
the conference. After suffering an 18-0 setback to the Black and
Gold in the final game of a doubleheader on Saturday, the Bears
bounced back with their 25th win on the season and improve to 11-16
in league play.
AU totaled three extra-base hits on the day, headlined by junior
first baseman Steven Cooper's seventh home run of the season and
third for the series. Joining the junior was senior designated
hitter Shawn Delmontagne and freshman Tyler Miller with a double
apiece. Cooper and Miller paced the ball club with three hits
apiece, as they combined for six of the team's 13 hits. All nine
players in the Anderson starting lineup posted at least one hit for
the afternoon.
With Cooper's three hits for the day, the junior drove in four
runs, including two on a single up the middle to headlined a
six-run seventh inning, followed by his ninth-inning two-run homer
to cut into the Lenoir-Rhyne advantage.
Within the marathon seventh inning, the Trojans scored six runs
on six hits to find the scoreboard for the first time on the day.
Senior shortstop Brett Cash led off the inning with a single and
was later moved to third on Delmontagne's double. After outfielder
Stephen McKnight walked, fellow outfielder Garrett Bernardo singled
to left center and brought home two to put AU in the run column for
the first time.
With two men on, Miller singled and drove in Bernardo for his
lone RBI of the day, followed by Cooper's two-run single to close
out the inning's scoring.
Prior to the seventh, the Bears began the game's scoring in the
second inning with five runs and in the third inning with three
runs. With the eight runs through three innings, L-R starter, Ivan
Vieitez shined with six complete innings while striking out nine
Trojan hitters. Offensively, lead-off hitters Brantley Rumford and
Matthew De La Rosa combined for five hits, three runs scored and
three RBI to pace the Bears.
AU looks to get back on the winning track on Tuesday when it
welcomes North Greenville to Anderson Memorial Stadium to complete
a season-long three-game series. The Trojans look for a three-game
sweep of the Crusaders beginning at 6 p.m.