Grand Slams Sink Lions
A pair of fourth inning grand slams lifted Anderson University to a sweep of Mars Hill on Tuesday
ANDERSON, S.C. - A pair of fourth inning grand slams lifted Anderson University to a sweep of the Mars Hill softball team on Tuesday as the Trojans defeated Mars Hill 9-5 and 7-2. Anderson improves to 21-5 overall and 4-0 in the South Atlantic Conference while Mars Hill drops to 2-11 and 0-2.
Game One: Anderson 9, Mars Hill 5
Courtney Czentnar's grand slam was part of a seven run fourth inning as the Trojans erased a 3-2 deficit.
Mars Hill got on the board in the first inning with an Aleshia Peek single that scored Jamie Booze and Erin Vickery. Booze led off the game with a single, while Vickery and Taylor Lail reached on a pair of two out walks.
Anderson cut the lead in half in the home half of the inning thanks to a Chelsea Jones single that scored Jessica Neidgh. The Trojans tied the contest an inning later on a Mars Hill error.
The Lions reclaimed the lead in the third as Robyn Stanek scored on a Peek base hit. Anderson tied the game on a Neidigh triple and took the lead on a Molly Child double. Anderson added a run on a Rebecca Martin base hit before Czentnar's blast gave the hosts a 9-3 lead.
The Lions added solo home runs by Robyn Stanek in the fifth and Ellen Tillman in the seventh inning to cap the scoring.
Lail and Peek each went two-for-three with two singles while Tillman and Stanek each hit a home run. Peek finished with three RBI.
Jones earned the win, allowing two runs on four hits with three strikeouts in four innings. Taylor Hussey took the loss, allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits with four walks in three innings.
Game Two: Anderson 7, Mars Hill 2
Cailah Niles' grand slam in the fourth inning extended an Anderson lead as the Lions stranded four runners in scoring position in the final two innings.
Anderson pushed three runs across in the third inning thanks to Courtney Czentnar and Jessica Neidigh singles.
Robyn Stanek led off the Mars Hill fourth inning with a single and scored on a one out Taylor Lail home run to bring the Lions to within a run.
After two walks and a single to load the bases in the home half of the fourth, Niles extended the Trojan lead with a grand slam to center field.
Mars Hill had runners at second and third with two outs in the fifth and sixth innings, but a flyout and strikeout kept the Lions off the scoreboard.
Lail went one-for-three with a home run and two RBI. Aleshia Peek went one-for-three with a double. Stanek, Ellen Tillman, Erin Vickery and Patricia Thompson each went one-for-three with a single. Jamie Booze went one-for-four with a single.
Chelsea Jones earned the win, allowing two runs on seven hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in seven innings. Booze took the loss as she allowed three runs on four hits with a walk in two innings.
Mars Hill returns to Ponder Field for the first time in over five weeks on Wednesday, hosting Lees-McRae in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
