Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
ANDERSON, S.C. - Headlined by outfielder Nick Bernardo's
walk-off single in the final at-bat of the day, Anderson University
baseball added a pair of South Atlantic Conference victories over
Lincoln Memorial, 4-1 and 2-1, Saturday afternoon at Anderson
Memorial Stadium.
With the back-to-back victories, the Trojans clinch a spot into
next week's SAC Tournament for the second consecutive year, as they
jump to 20-27 for the season with a 14-15 mark in league play. The
Railsplitters, who were playing for seeding in next week's
tournament, fall to 24-20 overall with a 15-12 record in SAC
action.
The Black and Gold posted a combined 14 hits for the twin bill,
as junior outfielder Garrett Bernardo paced the club with four hits
for the afternoon, highlighted by a three-hit game in the opener.
The Trojan trio of senior Brett Cash, redshirt sophomore Stephen
McKnight and freshman Tyler Miller posted multi-hit games for the
afternoon, as all three players notched extra-base hits for the
day.
In the first game of the doubleheader, redshirt freshman
left-hander Nick Contafio tossed seven scoreless innings en route
to his third victory of the season. Contafio allowed just six hits
and issued two walks, while striking out four Railsplitter hitters
in the span. Junior right-hander Mitchell Cooksey closed the door
on LMU with two complete innings and one strikeout.
AU scored a run in the second and in the third, as Nick Bernardo
drove in Garett Bernardo on a single to open the game's scoring,
while a lead-off triple by Miller in the third propelled AU to a
2-0 lead after three innings. The Trojans put the game out of reach
in the fourth when McKnight tripled to the right-center field gap
and was eventually brought home by a Travis Smith single. A batter
later, Garrett Bernardo scored McKnight on a single to put AU
ahead, 4-0.
Lincoln Memorial attempted a late comeback in ninth with a
single run, but a Cooksey strikeout with two outs sealed the
conference victory over the Railsplitters.
In the final contest of the afternoon, LMU opened scoring in the
first inning, as lead-off hitter Scott Miller scored on a Kyle
Floyd single to put the visitors ahead 1-0 after an inning.
Anderson answered in the bottom of the third when Cash tripled to
the deepest part of the ballpark and scored Miller to hand the
Trojans their first run of the game.
After both teams could not find the scoreboard for the next 3.5
innings, AU began its late-inning heroics in the bottom of the
seventh. As the Trojan offense tallied just one hit since Cash's
triple in the third, Garrett Bernardo snapped the slump with a
double into the left-center gap. The double was Bernardo's eighth
of the season.
With his brother, Nick, following him in the lineup, the
outfielder sent a 1-1 pitch into center field for a base hit.
Getting the green light around third base, the throw from
outfielder Wes Neiderland was late getting to plate, scoring
Garrett Bernardo and sealing the doubleheader sweep for the Black
and Gold. The win gives Anderson its second straight series win
over the Railsplitters after capturing two-of-three from LMU in
Harrogate a season ago.
With the forecast calling for the rain on Sunday, the final game
of the three-game series has been cancelled. The Trojans are
scheduled to return to the diamond on Monday when they celebrate
Senior Day with their fourth matchup with Southern Wesleyan this
season. First pitch from Anderson Memorial Stadium is slated for 6
p.m.
Game 1 Box
Score
Game 2 Box
Score