WISE - - UVA Wise and Anderson split a South Atlantic Conference baseball doubleheader at Stallard Field Saturday. The Cavaliers overcame a six-run deficit in the opener to score a 14-10 win before the Trojans won the nightcap 13-8.
Anderson (17-14, 6-5 SAC) built a 7-1 advantage after 2 1/2 innings of play of game one as Justin Fox hit a solo homer and Lucas Poole lined a two-run homer to aid the guests to the fast start.
UVA Wise (11-20, 2-9 SAC) got its early run from Matt Frye when he hit a solo home run in the second inning.
The Cavs would erupt for five runs in the third inning as D'Sean Prinkleton and Cole Harness each had an RBI prior to a two-run single from Hunter Meador and a run-scoring single by Justin Reed to cut the lead to 7-6.
Jordan Montgomery pushed the Anderson lead to 8-6 with a solo shot in the fourth before a four-run fifth inning gave UVA Wise the lead.
Jeb Hurst singled in Meador and Harness for the inning's first two runs before Jacob Boyle and Nick Badgett each added a run-scoring hit to put the hosts in the lead 10-8.
The Trojans got within a run in the seventh on an RBI groundout by Fox. An inning later, Montgomery tied the game with a double.
The SAC's leading RBI man would deliver the decisive blow in the eighth inning as Harness drilled a three-run homer over the left-field wall. The three-run blast give the first baseman a league-leading 47 RBI this spring.
Reed would provide an insurance run when he knocked in Meador to provide the winning margin of 14-10.
Hunter Anderson earned the mound win by tossing 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. The right-hander did not allow a hit, struck out one and walked one to earn his first win of 2023.
Badgett and Meador each went 3-for-5 while Harness went 2-for-4 with four RBI to pace the offense. Reed and Hurst also lined two hits each while each man added a pair of RBI in the win.
Montgomery went 4-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored with Poole going 4-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored.
The win was the first conference home win of the season for UVA Wise.
Game two was another high-scoring affair with the Trojans lining 13 hits in the win.
Anderson's Carlos Hernandez put the visitors on the board in the top of the first with a two-out RBI single only to see Frye tie the game with his second homer of the day, a solo shot to right-center in the bottom of the second.
The Trojans would take a lead they would not relinquish with a four-run third inning. Kye Andress blasted a three-run homer while Hernandez added an RBI double in the big frame.
Brandon Costa's team inched closer when Prinkleton singled home Badgett and Boyle in the third making it a 5-3 game after three innings.
In the fourth, Anderson put together another big inning as Fox doubled in a run and Poole lined a two-run homer as part of a four-run rally.
Trailing 9-4, the Cavs received an RBI single from Badgett in the fourth and a two-run homer by Meador in the fifth to trail 9-6 heading to the sixth.
Again, the Trojans had the offensive answer. This time, Poole, Brayden Harrison, Andress and Anthony Pandolfi each had an RBI as part of a four-run inning to put the visitors in front 13-6.
A two-run homer by Badgett in the sixth would get UVA Wise within 13-8 but, it would be as close as the hosts would get as Anderson tied the series at a game each.
Austin Mercado earned the mound win for the Trojans. The left-hander tossed 5 1/3 innings, allowing 11 hits, striking out three and surrendering eight earned runs. Mercado is now 4-0 on the year.
Fox, Hernandez, Poole, Andress and Owens all had two hits in the win with Andress posting a game-high four RBI for Anderson.
Badgett, Dickson, Prinkleton, Hurst and Boyle all had two hits for the Cavs with Badgett knocking in a trio of runs and scoring twice in defeat.
The series concludes tomorrow at 1 p.m. with a single nine inning game.
