Coker Comes From Behind to Sweep Belmont Abbey, Takes Series 2-1

HARTSVILLE, S.C. – In their final home games of the year, the Cobra baseball team earned a pair of wins over Belmont Abbey, 5-4 and 5-3 on Saturday (Apr. 13). The victories gave Coker the 2-1 series win and moved the Cobras to 13-8 in league play and 27-12 overall. 

The first game of the day was scheduled to be just seven innings long, but instead took nine to complete with Keith Wolf driving home Zach Durham with a sac fly in the bottom of the ninth to win the game.

The Cobras found themselves playing from behind the entire game as Belmont Abbey scored two runs in the first frame of the game. A sac fly by Fico Kondla in the bottom of the second inning cut the Crusaders advantage to one. The Abbey made it 3-1 in the top of the fifth and another run in the top of the seventh made it a 4-1 game. An RBI single by Wolf, along with a Crusader error gave Coker two runs in the bottom of the seventh with no outs. An RBI by Brinley Griffin tied the game at four and sent it into extra innings. After a scoreless eighth, Frank Suarez led off the ninth inning with a walk. Back-to-back bunt singles by Sammy Song and Shea Bell loaded the bases and Wolf delivered a deep fly ball to center that scored pinch runner Durham and gave the Cobras the win.

Starter Dan Meyer went eight strong innings for the Cobras, allowing four runs on just five hits with five strikeouts, but it was Andrew Goot (7-0) that earned the win. He threw a scoreless, hitless inning of relief with two strikeouts.

Bell had three hits to lead the Cobras at the plate, while Suarez had a pair of hits including a double. Wolf drove in two runs, while Griffin and Kondla drove in a run each. Griffin also had two hits, as did Song.

In game two the Cobras once again had to battle back to earn the victory. This time Coker got on the board first with a run in the bottom of the first. After a pair of scoreless innings, Belmont Abbey plated three runs in the top of the fourth, taking the 3-1 lead. The Cobras answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth to regain the one-run advantage, 4-3. An insurance run in the sixth made it 5-3 and then Zach Loraine closed out the game with a scoreless seventh. 

Goot (8-0) earned his second win of the day with two innings of relief work. He allowed just two hits with four strikeouts, while Loraine (13) picked up his nation leading 13^th save of the year with an inning of work.

Wolf drove in three runs of Coker's five runs, while Griffin and Suarez each drove in a run. Wolf and Kondla each hit a double as well for the Cobras.

The Cobras will return to the diamond for a non-conference double-header at St. Andrews University on Tuesday (Apr. 16). First pitch is scheduled 1:00 p.m. in Laurinburg, N.C. 

McDonald's Player of the Game- Andrew Goot