Baseball Drops Double-Header at Anderson

ANDERSON, S.C. – The Lions' baseball team lost a double-header against Anderson University at Memorial Stadium. Mars Hill lost the first game 22-16 and then lost the nightcap, 5-4. MHU fell to 1-8 overall and 0-6 in the SAC. Anderson improved to 6-4 on the season and 4-2 in the league.

Game 1: Anderson 22, Mars Hill 16

Nick Villalobos led Mars Hill going 4-4 at the plate with three RBI, the same number of runs scored and a double. Tommy Ollis went 2-2 with a homerun and three RBI. Ky'Rawn Whitfield was 3-4 with a triple, a RBI and a pair of runs scored. Andy Runion took the loss (0-2) on the mound for the Lions.

Ryan Stollar led the Trojans offensively going 3-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. LJ Newman had a homerun and three RBI while Steven Cooper went 2-3 with two RBI, two runs scored and a double. Evan Jordan picked up the win pitching 2.1 innings in relief for Anderson.

Dylan Powers scored for MHU in the Lions' first at-bat on a fielder's choice to put Mars Hill on top 1-0. That lead was short lived as Anderson scored seven runs in the second inning on four hits and two Lion errors. The at-bat was highlighted by a three-run homerun by Newman.

After the Lion scored single runs in the third and fourth innings, the Trojans plated eight runs in the fourth inning to make the score 15-3. Stephen McKnight hit a two-RBI double in the fourth frame.

Mars Hill fought back scoring a pair of runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to bring the Lions within 15-7 of Anderson. Once again the Trojans' bats answered the call. They scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on four hits and three Lion miscues to extend their advantage to 21-7.

After Anderson scored their final run in the eighth inning, Mars Hill made a solid comeback in the ninth inning scoring nine runs on seven hits and three Trojan errors. Ollis and Nick Villalobos recorded two-RBI apiece in the Lions' final at bat.

Game 2: Anderson 5, Mars Hill 4

Rayshelon Carolina and Dylan Powers led the Lions' offense with two hits apiece. Carolina scored a run while Powers recorded a RBI. Zach Brown suffered the loss (1-2) for MHU on the mound.

Cody Sheffield obtained the win for Anderson pitching six innings. Chris Ayers notched his first save of the year recording the final three outs of the game. Bailey and Brett Cash tallied two hits apiece for Anderson.

Anderson scored two runs in the first frame on four hits and then posted two additional runs in the third inning on the same number of hits. Shawn Delmontagne accounted for the runs in the third inning with a double down the right field line.

The Trojans scored their final run of the contest in the fourth inning before Mars Hill would post two runs in both the sixth and seventh innings. Powers had a RBI double in the sixth while Dalton Eisenbath had a RBI double in the Lions' last at-bat. Ayers entered the game after Eisenbath's double and recorded two fly outs and a ground out to seal the win for Anderson.

Mars Hill will host King on Wednesday, February 18. The first pitch is set for 2 p.m.