By: Jake Miller
HARTSVILLE, S.C.- Solid pitching backed by some timely hitting helped Coker pick up a South Atlantic Conference series win over visiting LMU on Saturday (April 16), as the Cobras dropped game one 6-4 and won game two 4-0 for the 2-1 series win.
Coker came within two runs of tying the game when they dropped game one 6-4. A four-run sixth inning got the home team back in the ball game but the Cobras could not cash in on later chances to tie the game. With one out in the inning Colton Henthorne singled up the middle, and moved to second on a Will Winslow walk. Henthorne would score on a Jack Leech RBI single, and Winslow would follow coming around on a Darius Coldiron RBI double. Thomas Lopez's sacrifice fly would score Leech and advance Coldiron to third, and he would score when Miguel Frias poked a two-out single through the right side.
Seven different Cobras each recorded one hit in the loss.
Will Sutton (3-3) took the loss in the game, tossing five innings allowing six runs, four earned on 10 hits. The southpaw also walked one and struck out four. Forrest Arnold would provide outstanding relief keeping Coker in the game, firing four hitless innings allowing one walk and racking up five strikeouts.
Game two saw a much better result for starting pitcher Anthony Scaccia (5-3). The lefty fired four shutout innings allowing four hits, issuing one free pass and striking out four. Arnold would come on in relief for his second appearance of the afternoon, and again the right-hander would hold the Railsplitter bats at bay. Arnold fired two scoreless innings of relief allowing two hits while each walking and striking out one.
Coker scored all four of their runs in the bottom half of the first, as a one-out RBI single from Leech brought Strnad around to score to get the Cobras on the board. A Lincoln Memorial passed ball would allow Will Winslow to score later in the inning, followed by a Lopez double to score another. The fourth run of the inning would score off of an LMU error when catcher Russell Clark threw a ball away down the third base line allowing Coldiron to score.
Winslow, Leech, Lopez and Frias tallied one hit apiece for the Cobras in the rubber match.
The Cobras will come back to Tom J. New Field on Tuesday (April 19) when they host UNC Pembroke in a non-conference matinee. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m. Tickets for the game are $5 for adults, $3 for students and free to all Coker faculty, staff and students.
McDonald's Player of the Game- Forrest Arnold