DUE WEST, S.C. - Senior Steven Cooper homered twice and drove in five runs on the strength of an eighth-inning grand slam, as the Anderson baseball team closed its five-game road swing with a come-from-behind win over longtime rival Erskine, Tuesday afternoon at Grier Field.

Anderson improved to 11-17 overall with its third win in four outings, while avenging an earlier loss to the Flying Fleet. Erskine fell to 23-9 on the season with just its second loss in the last seven games.

The battle for the coveted Beville Cup is now even at five points apiece, with 5 ½ points yet to be determined. The prestigious Beville Cup, originally known as the Anderson/Erskine Cup, is a competition between Erskine and Anderson's athletics programs that was established in the fall of 2003 and is sponsored by ARAMARK in order to promote and enhance the rivalry between the Trojans and Flying Fleet, whose campuses are separated only by 20 miles.

The winner of the Beville Cup each year has the award presented each spring to its student-athletes and coaches by the losing athletics director, traditionally at their postseason banquet/awards night. The Trojans have owned the Beville Cup for the last three years and eight of the last 12.

Cooper finished the afternoon by going 3-for-4 with the two home runs and also scored twice. Fellow senior LJ Newman added a two-run double and a pair of singles, while driving in two runs and scoring once. Junior Xavier Peralta posted three singles and crossed the plate once in five at-bats, with Garrett Bernardo notching a single and an RBI-double. Junior Steven McKnight was
2-for-5, with a run scored and an RBI, while sophomore Tyler Miller crossed the plate twice. Senior Travis Smith notched a two-run single in the ninth.

Senior Mitchell Cooksey (2-1) earned the win with 2/3 innings of relief. The right-hander allowed two hits and one earned run. Seniors Michael Skelly and Brock Goodling each tossed an inning of relief, holding the Fleet scoreless over the final two frames. Goodling earned his South Atlantic Conference-leading sixth save of the season.

The Trojans jumped out in front early, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Senior Kyle Bailey led off the contest by doubling to the gap in left-center, but was erased on a fielder's choice. Cooper followed by pulling a single down the right-field line, putting runners on the corners with one out and Newman came through with a two-run double down the left-field line that scored both Miller and Cooper.

Erskine countered with a run in the bottom of the first on the strength of a single and eventual sacrifice fly, while Newman led off the fourth inning with his second straight hit - a single to center - and crossed the plate when Bernardo doubled to left-center, boosting AU's lead to 3-1. The Trojans opened a three-run advantage when McKnight ripped a clutch, two-out single though the right side to bring home Bernardo.

Erskine's Tyler Phillips homered in the bottom of the frame with a runner on and two outs to pull the Fleet within 4-3. But Cooper answered for the Trojans by belting his team-leading seventh homer of the season in the top of the fifth.

The Flying Fleet plated three runs with one out in the sixth to claim a 6-5 edge and added three more in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a four-run advantage, but the Fleet bullpen was unable to hold off the Trojans.

Anderson threatened in the top of the seventh when Miller and Cooper drew back-to-back walks with two outs, but the Trojans were unable to push the tying run across.

But AU sent 10 batters to the plate in the top of the eighth inning and erupted for seven runs, with Travis Smith's two-run single and Cooper's grand slam providing the firepower.

Anderson will get back on the diamond Wednesday, when the Trojans play host to Lander. First-pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.