The Coffee Trojans bounced back from a tough loss against the Greenbrier Wolfpack on Tuesday and managed to split a double-header at Greenbrier on Wednesday. Coffee won game one 6-3 but dropped game two 2-1 in extra innings.
The Trojans trailed 1-0 until the top of the third when they scored two to go up 2-1. They added three in the fifth and one in the seventh to take a 6-1 lead. The Wolfpack managed to plate two in the bottom of the seventh but that is as close as they would get.
Coffee took the lead in the third when Ben Fussell doubled with nobody out, scoring Braden Musgrove, who led off the inning with a walk. Ben Roberts drove in the second run of the inning when he hit a sacrifice fly to right center, scoring Michael Strickland.
In the fifth, the Trojans used the long ball to pad their lead. Strickland led off with a single then Payton Bryant hit his fourth home run of the year to put Coffee up 4-1. Two batters later, Zae Smith hit a solo home run, his first, to extend the lead to 5-1. The Trojans added an insurance run in the seventh when Carter McMillan singled to drive in Connor Stewart.
Coffee carried a 6-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh. The Wolfpack made a little noise with a two-run home run to cut the advantage to 6-3. After the homer, pitcher Gavin McElroy settled down and retired the next three Greenbrier batters to end the game.
Ben Fussell started and picked up the win with six innings of work. McElroy threw an inning for the save.
Game two saw both teams fight to a draw after seven innings. Greenbrier scored one in the second then Coffee answered with one in the fourth on a two-strike solo home run by Bryant, his team-leading fifth of the season.
The game remained tied at one apiece until the bottom of the ninth inning when the Wolfpack won the game with a bases-loaded walk.
Greenbrier took the season series 2-1. The Trojans are now 12-3 overall and 1-2 in region play. They are in action again Tuesday at home against the Statesboro Blue Devils. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
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