HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker Cobra baseball team picked up a 9-6 come from behind win over the Claflin Panthers in NCAA Division II baseball action on Tuesday (Mar. 17).
After falling behind 6-3, the Cobras mounted a come back in the bottom of the eighth inning by scoring six runs to take the 9-6 lead. Ryan Milner then came in to shut the door in the ninth and secured the Coker victory.
Freshman Joey Carpenter (1-0) earned the win in his collegiate debut. He tossed an inning of scoreless relief, allowing just two hits with two strikeouts. Milner (2) earned his second save of the season with a scoreless ninth.
The freshman duo of Joe Diaz and Alex Rodriguez led the Cobras at the plate. Diaz went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs, while Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored. Taylor Fennewald also had a pair of doubles, scored a run and drove in a run.
The Cobras will return to the diamond on Friday and Saturday (Mar. 20-21) when they travel to Carson-Newman for a three-game South Atlantic Conference series. Game one will begin at 2 p.m. on Friday.
McDonald's Player of the Game – Joey Carpenter