ORANGEBURG, S.C. – The Coker Cobra baseball team split its non-conference double-header with the Claflin Panthers on Tuesday (Mar. 11) afternoon. Claflin picked up the win in game one, 6-5, but the Cobras stormed back with a 28-0 rout in game two. Coker is now 12-8 on the year.
In game one the Navy and Yellow jumped out to an early 5-2 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning. The Panthers proceeded to score four unanswered runs over the final three innings to take home the 6-5 victory.
Forrest Arnold (2-1) took the loss for the Cobras. He allowed three runs and five hits with a strikeout in an inning in the mound.
At the plate Jack Leech went 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI, while T.J. Giczkowski and Ernie Kirkwood had two hits and an RBI each. Tyler Bires also drove in a run for Coker on a double.
During the second game of the day the Coker offense exploded for 28 runs on 19 hits in seven innings. Coker scored 13 runs in the first inning, four in the second and third innings, three runs in the fourth and another four in the fifth.
Adam Webb (2-0) earned the win on the hill. He held the Panthers scoreless in three innings of work, allowing just two hits with a strikeout.
Six different Cobras drove in three or more runs. Fico Kondla and Will Winslow drove in five runs each, while Evan Rybicki drove in four runs on a grand slam. Giczkowski was 5-for-5 with a homer and four RIBs, Kirkwood drove in three runs on three hits and Brandon Dyer was 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
The Cobras will return to action Friday (Mar. 14) and Saturday (Mar. 15) for a three-game South Atlantic Conference series against Carson-Newman. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday at Coker's Tom J. New Field.