EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Baseball Team (4-11, 1-1 ODAC) played its first Old Dominion Athletic Conference games of the year Saturday at Porterfield/DeVault Field, hosting Hampden-Sydney College (9-5, 1-1 ODAC). The Wasps claimed an 8-4 win in game one of the doubleheader while the Tigers took game two by a 17-6 score.
Game One – Emory & Henry 8, Hampden-Sydney 4
HSC scored a run in the top of the first to get the day going, but E&H responded with four in the bottom of the inning to go up 4-1. The Wasps had five hits in the frame highlighted by a two-run double down the right field line by freshman catcher Connor Stevenson (Stephens City, Va.).
After four scoreless innings, the Tigers put another score up in the sixth answered by Emory & Henry for a 5-2 score. The Wasps made it 6-2 in the seventh on a RBI single by sophomore first baseman Carson Bryant (Hickory, N.C.).
E&H added two insurance runs in the eighth to go up 8-2 and held on for the 8-4 win despite allowing two runs on three hits and a walk in the ninth.
Wasp freshman shortstop Ross French (Bridgewater, Va.) went three-for-four three RBI while Bryant, junior second baseman Hunter Jeffries (Hickory, N.C.) and sophomore centerfielder Josh Macek (Concord, N.C.) had two hits each. Senior Aaron Sparks (Troutman, N.C.) scattered four runs on nine hits over eight-plus innings of work, striking out five with no walks.
Reggie Johnson and Austin Stephan had three hits each for the Tigers, as Johnson added a run and a RBI. Johnson took the loss on the mound, allowing six runs on 10 hits in seven innings pitched.
Game Two – Hampden-Sydney 17, Emory & Henry 6
Hampden-Sydney scored in the third through ninth innings, pounding out 17 hits and taking advantage of seven E&H errors for nine unearned runs.
The Tigers broke open a 2-0 game in the fifth with four runs, highlighted by a two-run single by Jayson Maitland. HSC added two runs in the sixth to make the score 8-0.
Emory & Henry closed the gap to 8-6 with a six-run sixth inning. The Wasps got there by virtue of four hits, and three walks as Jeffries capped the scoring for the frame with a double down the left field line which drove in two.
In the seventh, Hampden-Sydney added four runs to push their advantage to 12-6. Johnson had a two-run homer to left field and on his next time at bat, notched a bases-loaded double to extend the lead to 15-6. Moe Gothe had a two-run double in the ninth to cap the scoring, 16-7.
Johnson led the way with three hits, five RBI and two runs scored while Cody Smith notched three hits, four runs and two RBI. Gothe added four hits, four RBI and two runs in the game. Teddy West earned the win, allowing four runs on seven hits with five strikeouts over 5.2 innings.
Jeffries had two hits and two RI while freshman left fielder Ben Sexton (Lebanon, Va.) and French chipped in two hits each. Junior right-hander Garrett Butler (Knoxville, Tenn.) suffered the loss, allowing seven runs (six unearned) in five innings.
Emory & Henry will take to the road for Spring Break and will play at Piedmont College on Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m.
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-photo courtesy of Caleb Johnston, E&H '15