ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson University baseball team fell short in a South Atlantic Conference battle Friday night at Anderson Memorial Stadium, dropping a 9-5 decision to visiting Coker University.
The Cobras jumped out early, plating five runs in the top of the third inning behind a series of timely hits and a key error. Gavin Edens led off the inning with a single and came around to score on an RBI single by Hunter Poole. After two hit batters and a bunt single loaded the bases, Rocco Wojcik delivered a two-run single to left. A wild pitch brought home another run before Luke Alford's sacrifice fly made it 5-0.
Coker added four more in the fifth. Wojcik again sparked the rally, singling and advancing on a throwing error. He scored on a wild pitch, and Poole capped the inning with a two-run double to left center, giving the visitors a 9-0 advantage.
Anderson responded in the bottom of the frame. Ben Bullard led off with a single, and Dom Bello followed with a triple to deep right center to get the Trojans on the board. Bello would later score on an RBI groundout by Brayden Owens.
In the sixth, Zach Stover doubled and scored on a groundout by Gray Wells. The Trojans continued to chip away in the seventh as Bello singled and eventually scored on a failed pickoff attempt. Harrison grounded out to shortstop to bring home Owens and trim the deficit to 9-5.
The Trojans loaded the bases in the seventh and added a runner in the eighth, but Coker reliever Britton Adams kept the home side in check with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief, striking out three and allowing just two hits.
Casey Cleghorn (4-3) earned the win for Coker, going 6.2 innings and allowing five earned runs on eight hits. Anderson's Walker Noland (5-3) was tagged with the loss, surrendering seven earned runs in four innings of work.
Bello paced Anderson at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a triple, two runs scored, and an RBI. Stover also added two hits and a double. For Coker, Wojcik finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Poole drove in three.
With the loss, Anderson falls to 21-18 overall and 10-12 in SAC play. Coker improves to 24-16 and 12-10 in the conference. The two teams wrap up their series with a doublheader slated for 1:00 p.m. tomorrow.
