Ball, McCabe Homer, Cobras Down Bears 10-8
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Coker
|
0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 12 | 1 |
|
Lenoir-Rhyne
|
1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 0 |
HICKORY, N.C. -- The Coker College baseball team defeated Lenoir-Rhyne 10-8 in a mid-week, non-conference matchup on Wednesday (Mar. 6).
RJ Ball led the Cobras at the plate, picking up three hits, three RBI, and knocking his second home run of the season. Griffin Hollifield was the star on the mound, earning the victory while allowing just two runs in five innings of relief.
The Cobras fell behind 1-0 after the first inning, but answered with four runs of their own in the top of the second. Ball started the inning off with his home run, and Gavin Matthews followed with a single. Bryan Castillo walked, and then Tanner Crosby roped a single to center, scoring Matthews and giving Coker a 2-1 lead. Lake Lybrand added to the lead with a single later in the inning, and Crosby eventually scored the fourth run off a wild pitch.
The Bears cut the deficit to 4-3 with two runs in the bottom of the third inning, but Larry McCabe answered with his third home run of the season to extend the Coker lead to 5-3. Lenoir-Rhyne then tied the game up with two runs in the bottom of the fourth, and ultimately took a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the fifth.
Freshman Chase Bruno tied the game back up in the top of the sixth with a single to right-center after McCabe walked, and then stole second earlier in the inning.
The Cobras broke the game open in the top half of the seventh, drawing four walks in the inning. Ball delivered the big hit, a two-out single scoring Reilly Hall and Lybrand.
Coker added an insurance run in the top of the ninth off a Castillo RBI single, and Hollifield closed the game out in the bottom of the inning.
Lybrand, Bruno, and Crosby collected two hits apiece, and the Cobras drew 12 walks in the games.
Coker will be back in action on Friday (Mar. 8) when they host Newberry in South Atlantic Conference action. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.