By: Jake Miller
HARTSVILLE, S.C.- Coker baseball coach Dave Schmotzer's last home game was spoiled in extra innings as visiting Newberry took the game 6-5 in 11 innings to win the series 2-1.
Coker trailed 4-0 until the bottom of the sixth when they were able to scrape two runs across on Jack Leech's sacrifice fly and an RBI single from Darius Coldiron. Coker added three runs and took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the seventh, starting with back-to-back singles from Bryson Conner and Clint Allen. AJ Strnad laid down a sacrifice bunt and the ball was thrown away allowing both runners to score and planting Strnad at third with no one out. Colton Henthorne drew a walk to continue the on-base streak followed up by Will Winslow's RBI single up the middle to score Strnad.
Newberry tied the game in the top of the ninth off of Darius Coldiron(4-3) and the teams would trade scoreless frames until the top of the 11th when the visitors plated one run with two outs in the inning.
Coldiron tossed four innings of relief allowing two earned runs on five hits. The right-hander punched out five in the outing. He relieved fellow right-hander Forrest Arnold after four relief innings of his own. Arnold allowed one earned run on three hits while issuing one walk and striking out three. Anthony Scaccia went three innings from the start, allowing three earned runs on four hits while walking two and striking out two.
Coldiron went 3-5 at the plate with a double, while Conner went 2-5. Winslow, Leech, Thomas Lopez and Allen each had one hit.
The Cobras will move on to the South Atlantic Conference Tournament in Kodak, Tenn. They await their seeding and opponent for the first round game.
McDonald's Player of the Game- Coker Baseball 2016 Seniors