Coker Drops Series To Lincoln Memorial

HARTSVILLE, SC. - Coker took game one Friday night over Lincoln Memorial, but it was the Railsplitters sweeping day two to take down Coker. The Cobras now turn their attention to their final weekend series with Tusculumn. 

BY THE NUMBERS:
Scores:G1 Coker 6, LMU 5 | G2 LMU 13, Coker 10 | G3 LMU 9, Coker 6 
Records:Coker 26-20 (14-13) | Lincoln Memorial 23-21 (13-14)
Location: Hartsville, SC. 

HOW IT HAPPENED:

G1: 
Lincoln Memorial quickly jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top half of the first inning Friday night, but it was the Cobras racing back in the bottom half to knot it at three threw one. 

The scoring started for Coker with a Jaylen Mack single to plate Ick Cirino who singled to start the inning. Kyler Odom and Alex Lazar then brought in back to back directly after Mack's single to tie the game in the first. 

The starting pitchers for both sides then settled into the game, and worked quick innings in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. The 5th is when the Cobras opened the scoring up. 

Hunter Poole reached first to start the inning, and quickly stole two bases to get to third. Gabriel Santiago singled to center field, plating Poole to give Coker the lead. They then added two more in the inning thanks to two wild pitches, and lead 6-3 after five. 

Those six runs were all Casey Cleghorn and Britton Adams needed. They were able to escape multiple jams over the course of the final four innings, and helped Coker win game one 6-5.

G2:
Similar to game one, game two started with Lincoln Memorial scoring first. The Railsplitters quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but once again it was Coker answering in the bottom half. Coker plated three runs on four hits in the inning to take a 3-2 lead. Jaylen Mack started the scoring for Coker with an RBI single followed by a Kyler Odom single to tie the game. Cameron Ferrell then hit a sacrifice fly to give Coker the lead. 

After a quick top of the second inning, Coker plated one more in the bottom half. Rocco Wojcik started the inning off with a double down the left field line, and two batters later Ick Cirino brought him home with a sacrifice fly. From there, Lincoln Memorial exploded. The Railsplitters scored eight runs over the course of the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings to take a commanding 13-5 lead after eight. 

In the bottom of the ninth, Coker did damage. Jacob Maness pinch hit, and singled up the middle to get the scoring started for the Cobras, plating Keaton Anderson. Ick Cirino, Gabriel Santiago, Hunter Poole, and Jaylen Mack then all ripped two out singles, adding four more runs in the inning cutting the lead to just three. Lincoln Memorial then settled down and retired the last batter to even the series at one game a piece.

G3:
Cody Chapman quickly worked two outs in game three, but then the Railsplitters recorded three consecutive hits to take an early 3-0 lead forcing Coker to respond once more.

In the bottom of the first, Coker scratched three runs on two hits, evening the score at three. After a Hunter Poole single, Jaylen Mack and Kyler Odom recorded back to back hit by pitches to load the bases. Alex Lazar then worked a walk to put the Cobras on the board. The next at bat saw Gabriel Santiago tie the game at three with a double down the left field line.

After a quick second inning, Lincoln Memorial took the lead in the third. Coker turned the ball over to Britton Adams once more in the third inning, and he was stellar yet again. He held the Railsplitters scoreless through the fifth inning, giving Coker chances to tie or take the lead throughout. 

The bottom of the fifth is when Coker took the led. Gabriel Santiago started the inning off with a rocket into the left field corner for a double, and the pressure was on. The Cobras saw the bases become loaded for Ick Cirino who tied the game by hitting a ball to the right side to score Santiago. A batter later Hunter Poole delivered for Coker. The senior ripped a ball at the third basemen, and the Cobras scored two runs on the mistake of the Railsplitters to take a 6-4 lead into the sixth. 

Adams continued to be efficient in the top half of the sixth, stranding two runners to keep the Cobras lead at 6-4. In the top of the seventh, Lincoln Memorial plated five runs on four hits, helping them take down Coker.

SAC STANDINGS:
Coker currently sits in 6th place in the SAC standings with one weekend series left. 

UP NEXT:
Coker returns to action Friday when they take on Tusculumn.