Cobras' Comeback Effort Falls Short Versus Trojans

ANDERSON, S.C. - The Coker baseball team battled back valiantly in their South Atlantic Conference game on Friday (Apr. 8), but an early deficit to Anderson (S.C.) proved too much to overcome. The Cobras dropped the game by a 10-9 decision.

The Trojans showed up on Friday afternoon at Memorial Stadium in Anderson, S.C. ready to hit, as they scored 10 runs and recorded 12 hits over the first three innings to take an early 10-0 lead. The Cobra bats were held silent until the top of the fifth inning. A Kody Hanna single, Bryan Castillo walk, and Brady Jeffcoat single loaded the bases with nobody out. Jackson Williams' RBI sacrifice fly scored the first Coker run of the game and two more touched home on Andrew Scudder's 2 RBI single to trim the deficit to 10-3.

Coker struck again in the top of the seventh. Scudder and Reilly Hall notched back-to-back one out hits and moved up a base on a wild pitch. Scudder came across to score on another wild pitch and Hall tallied the fifth run of the night on Phill Griffor's RBI single. Griffor then came around to score on an RBI single from Castillo to make it 10-6. The Cobras added another in the eighth when pinch-runner Jacob Yarberry scored on a Reilly Hall RBI groundout. The RBI was the 118th of Hall's career and ties him for the all-time program record with Fico Kondla ('11-14).

The Cobras refused to go down quietly, as Cory Listing and Kody Hanna drew back-to-back walks to lead off the top of the ninth. An error by the Trojans' right fielder pushed one run across, and a wild pitch allowed Hanna to score and bring Coker within one run. The game-tying run was stranded at third and the furious comeback effort would come up just short.

Scudder, Castillo, and Jeffcoat each recorded two hits on the night. Scudder drove in two runs and Castillo drove in another to lead the offensive effort. Griffor and Hall each added a hit and drove in a run of their own. 

Dallas Higuet was stellar out of the bullpen, throwing four scoreless innings and striking out five Trojan hitters in relief. Zack Hinson also threw a scoreless bottom of the eighth, striking out the side.

Coker wraps up their weekend series with Anderson (S.C.) on Saturday (Apr. 9), when they face the Trojans in a doubleheader. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 1pm, with live video and statistics available at www.cokercobras.com.