MURFREESBORO, N.C. – The Coker Cobra baseball team opened the 2015 season by splitting a non-conference doubleheader against the Chowan Hawks on Sunday (Feb. 1). The Cobras lost the first game of the day 3-2, but bounced back with a 6-4 win in game two.
In game one, the Cobras fell behind 2-0 after the first four innings. They cut the lead to just one after a solo homer by Anthony Scaccia in the top fifth, but Chowan regained the two-run lead, 3-1, with a run in the bottom of half of the inning. After a pair of scoreless stanzas, Bryson Conner scored Coker's second run of the ballgame in the top of the eighth to make it 3-2. Coker continued to battle in the ninth getting two runners on base, but they were unable to push them across as the Hawks took game one 3-2.
Forrest Arnold (0-1) was tagged with the loss. He allowed two runs on three hits with a strikeout in four innings on the hill.
Scaccia led the Cobras at the plate going 1-for-3 with a home run, an RBI and a run scored. Tyler Osik, Taylor Fennewald and Michael Orlowski each collected a hit as well for the Cobras.
In the second game of the day the Cobras jumped out to a 3-0 lead with three runs in the top of the second. Chowan answered with four runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 4-3 lead. Coker regained the lead, 6-4, with a two-run double by Conner and sacrifice fly by Joe Diaz in the top of the fourth.
The Cobras shut down the Hawks from the remainder of the game thanks to John Lauttenbach's (1-0) lights out pitching. The senior tossed five scoreless innings of relief allowing just four hits with five strikeouts.
Conner led the way at the plate in game two with a pair of hits, including a double, three RBIs and two runs scored. Diaz also drove in two runs and Sammy Song was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Alex Rodriguez also had a pair of hits for the Cobras.
Coker will return to the diamond on Friday (Feb. 6) for its first South Atlantic Conference series of the season. The Cobras will travel to Brevard College for a three-game set. Friday's game will begin at 2 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon.