VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The Virginia Wesleyan College Baseball Team (6-14, 3-5 ODAC) earned a pair of Old Dominion Athletic Conference wins over Emory & Henry College (7-14, 2-6 ODAC) Saturday afternoon at Marlins Field. VWC won by scores of 5-4 and 9-4 to sweep the series.
Game One – Virginia Wesleyan 5, Emory & Henry 4
The Marlins plated five runs in the game, scoring single runs in the third through sixth innings and adding the winning run in the bottom of the eighth.
Emory & Henry's top offensive inning came in the top of the fifth when junior shortstop Jordan Woullard (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) drove in a pair of runs on a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield, making the score 3-2.
VWC would go up 4-3 after six and Emory & Henry tied the contest at four in the eighth. E&H senior designated hitter Jessup Lambert (Fries, Va.) singled to right centerfield to drive in junior catcher Connor Wise (Cookeville, Tenn.).
The Marlins got the winning run in the bottom of the eighth on a play where two errors were committed by the Wasps' defense.
Dylan Stoskus picked up the win on the hill for VWC, scattering eight hits and four runs over 7.2 innings of work with seven strikeouts. E&H freshman Matthew McInaw (Honey Brook, Pa.) went the distance in the loss allowing five runs on eight hits and five walks, despite striking out three.
Game Two – Virginia Wesleyan 9, Emory & Henry 4
Virginia Wesleyan claimed the series sweep over Emory & Henry thanks to a four-run seventh inning. The Marlins used five hits including a three-run triple by Evan Polk to put the contest out of reach.
Emory & Henry led the game off with three runs highlighted by freshman left fielder Andrew Stockstill (Roanoke, Va.) reaching on a two-out error that brought home a pair of scores.
The Wasps got their other run of the game in the top of the top of the third when Wise singled to left centerfield, scoring sophomore third baseman Bransen Christopher (Hickory, N.C.) from second base.
Alex Tucci picked up the win on the hill as he went the distance. He struck out eight and only walked one and scattered nine hits over the span of the game. Kenneth Belgrade led VWC at the plate as he went three-for-five with two runs scored while Polk was three-for-four with three runs driven in.
E&H freshman Ty Hill (Knoxville, Tenn.) fell to 2-3 on the year with the loss. Wise was two-for-three with a RBI and a run scored while Christopher and senior centerfielder Eric Houff (Blacksburg, Va.) each had a pair of hits.
Emory & Henry was originally scheduled to make up last weekend's ODAC twinbill with Bridgwater College tomorrow at noon, but the forecast of wet weather has forced those games to be postponed again. The Wasps and Eagles will now square off on Sunday, April 7.
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