Coker Completes Sweep of Barton with 5-4 Victory
The Coker baseball team completed their three-game sweep of Barton College with a 5-4 win on Monday (Feb. 25).
HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker Cobras completed the three-game sweep of Barton College on Monday (Feb. 25) with a 5-4 win in Conference Carolinas baseball action. The Cobras improve 10-3 on the year and 3-0 in league play.
The Cobras and the Bulldogs played their third hard fought battle of the series. Barton took the first lead of the ball game with a sac bunt from JT Bunce in the second inning. Coker bounced back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning courtesy of an RBI single by Fico Kondla, making it 2-1 in favor of the Cobras.
Not to be out done, the Bulldogs plated two runs in the top of the third to take the 3-2 lead. After a scoreless fourth, Coker regained a one run lead with two runs in the fifth thanks to a single by Brinley Griffin. Barton's run in the sixth tied the game at four and Coker went to their bullpen to shut down the Bulldog offense. Alex Hernandez and Zach Loraine closed the door on Barton with three scoreless innings and Shea Bell drove in the game-winning run with a single in the bottom of the eighth.
Hernandez (2-0) earned the win on the mound. He tossed two perfect innings of baseball, while Loraine (3) earned his third save in as many games with a scoreless ninth inning.
Griffin and Loraine each had multiple hits for the Cobras, while Griffin drove in a run. Kondla and Bell each picked up an RBI as well.
The Cobras were scheduled to play St. Andrews University in a non-conference game on Tuesday (Feb. 26), but that game has been cancelled due to a 100 percent chance of rain. Coker will be back on the field on Wednesday (Feb. 27) for a non-conference game against nationally ranked No. 16 UNC Pembroke. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Coker.
McDonald's Player of the Game- Shea Bell