March 25, 2006

Game 1; Game 2

LAURINBURG, NC— After holding on for a 12-10 victory in Saturday’s first game, Anderson University completed the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference baseball doubleheader sweep of host St. Andrews Presbyterian College with a 6-0 blanking in the second game at Clark Field.

The Trojans improved to 15-22 overall and 7-5 in the CVAC, while the Knights fell to 14-18 and 5-12.

The two teams will conclude the three-game series on Sunday with first pitch slated for 1:00 p.m.

Game 1 (9 innings)

After juniors Tony Graham (Abbeville, SC) doubled and Jessie Whiteside (Beaufort, SC) walked to start the game, senior Cody Nye (Saluda, SC) drove in both base runners with a single up the middle to give Anderson a quick 2-0 lead in the first.

Senior Anthony Mehling (Pottsville, PA) tied everything at two apiece in the bottom of the first with a two-run double down the left field line.

The two squads traded their third runs of the game before the Trojans exploded for five runs in the fourth to take an 8-3 advantage. Junior Kyle Lewis (Irmo, SC) drilled his first home run of the season to center field in the second before Whiteside highlighted the fourth with a two-run triple.

Trailing 9-3, Junior Cliff Allred (Franklinville, NC) extended his home run streak to three straight games with a two-run blast to right field in the fifth. Allred once again sliced away at the deficit with his seventh bomb of the season in the seventh to pull the Knights within 10-7. Allred capped his five-RBI performance with a run-producing single in the eighth that edged SAPC to within two.

Hot bats kept the Trojans in the lead as Anderson scored in seven different innings. The Knights had one last chance when freshman Jason Cargile (Greenville, NC) was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the ninth and Horne doubled to right-center. However, Trojan freshman reliever Brandon Johnson (Easley, SC) recorded the final three outs to end the threat to garner his third save of the season.

Freshman starter Chris Pitts (Easley, SC) improved to 3-5 after allowing five runs on 10 hits over 7 2/3 innings of work while striking out five. St. Andrews junior southpaw Ryan Curley (Emmaus, PA) dropped to 4-5 while fanning four in 3 2/3 innings.

Nye led the Trojan offense with a 4-for-5 performance with two RBI and two runs. Allred and senior Greg Wrape (Hamlet, NC) finished with three hits apiece for SAPC. Mehling was 2-for-3 with three runs, two RBI and two walks.

Game 2 (7 innings)

Junior starter Desmond Robson (Easley, SC) pitched a three-hit shutout to propel Anderson to the 6-0 victory in the nightcap. Robson, who improved to 3-4, had three strikeouts in the 72-pitch complete game.

The Trojans took advantage of three St. Andrews errors in the third and fourth to score their first four runs. A bases loaded walk by sophomore Clint Neville (McDonough, GA) in the fifth and a solo shot by Nye, his third of the season, in the seventh tallied the final two runs for Anderson.

Wrape broke up Robson’s no-hit attempt in the fourth with a two out single to left. Senior Brad Smith (Riegelwood, NC) took the loss even though only one of the five runs charged to his name was earned. Smith (1-6) posted three K’s.

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