HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker Cobras and the Carson-Newman Eagles split their South Atlantic Conference double-header on Saturday (Mar. 15). The Eagles won game one in extra innings 7-6, while the Cobras used some late inning heroics to capture a 5-4 win in game two. Coker moves to 14-9 overall and 7-7 in league play.
In the first game of the day Carson-Newman took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Coker responded with a run in the bottom of the third when Jarren Donato stole home to tie the game. The Cobras took a 3-1 lead with the help of back-to-back RBI singles by Sammy Song and Fico Kondla in the bottom of the fifth.
The Eagles plated five runs over the sixth and seventh innings to take a 6-3 lead. Tyler Bires made it a 6-4 game with an RBI single in the eighth. A two-run double by T.J. Giczkowski in the bottom of the ninth tied the game at six and sent it to extra innings. Carson-Newman scored the game-winning run in the top of the tenth inning, taking home the 7-6 victory.
Andrew Goot (0-2) suffered the loss; he allowed one run on one hit in two innings on the hill.
Giczkowski had a double with two RBIs, while Song had a pair of hits with an RBI. Kondla and Bires also drove in a run each and Jack Leech was 2-for-4 in game one.
The Cobras took home a 5-4 win in game two thanks to a four-run seventh inning that included a two-run homer by Shea Bell and a game-winning two-run double by Giczkowski.
After falling behind 4-1, the Navy and Yellow headed into the bottom of the seventh with their backs against the wall. Leech led of the inning with a walk and after a groundout; Bell smashed a two-run home run over the left field fence to make it a 4-3 game. An Eagle error put Song on first with two outs and after a Kondla walk, Giczkowski sent a ball deep into centerfield to score both Song and Kondla to give the Cobras the win.
Goot (1-2) earned the win with two innings scoreless and hitless innings of relief.
Bell finished the game 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs, while Giczkowski was 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Donato also had a hit and drove in a run.
The Cobras will return to action on Monday (Mar. 17) for a non-conference double-header at home against Clarion. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
McDonald's Player of the Game – T.J. Giczkowski