HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The No. 22-ranked University of Indianapolis baseball team fell in an early hole they couldn't dig themselves out of on saturday, suffering a 9-4 loss to Coker College.
 
Blake Richardson drove in three runs and Storm Joop had three hits for UIndy (1-1), but the Hounds were done in by a Coker offense that pounced on Greyhound pitching early. The Cobras (4-3) scored eight times in the first four innings, providing plenty of insurance the rest of the way.
 
Coker took the lead for good just a batter into the bottom of the first when AJ Strnad hit a leadoff home run off UIndy starter Connor Mailloux. The Cobras added on to the lead with another run in the first and one more in the third, chasing Mailloux from the game in the bottom of the third.
 
One inning later, the Hounds were one out away from keeping the deficit at three, but fell victim to a five-run, two-out Coker rally that stretched the lead to 8-0 after four.
 
After being limited to just two hits in their first four trips to the plate, the Greyhound offense showed signs of life in the top of the fifth. John Eberhardt walked and Macy Holdsworth singled to lead off the inning with both men coming in to score on Richardson's double to the left center field gap. Richardson would score later in the inning on Joop's double into the right field corner, making it an 8-3 game.
 
One inning later, Richardson brought home Nick Miller with a two-out single up the middle that cut the lead in half. But the Hounds' bats were held in check the rest of the way, managing just two hits over the final three innings. Coker got an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth to cap the scoring.
 
Mailloux (0-1) took the loss after allowing three runs on three hits in 2 2/3 innings. The Windson, Ontario-native walked three and fanned three while facing 15 batters.
 
Cody Brown (1-0) earned the win in relief for Coker, surrendering one run on four hits with one walk and three punch-outs over four innings of work.
 
The rubber match in the three-game series is set for Sunday afternoon at New Field. First pitch is set for noon.