LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Baseball Team (5-17, 2-5 ODAC) picked up a doubleheader split in Old Dominion Athletic Conference action against Lynchburg College (7-13, 3-4 ODAC) Monday afternoon at Fox Field. The Hornets claimed game one by an 8-4 score while the Wasps exacted revenge in the second contest, winning 13-3. The games were originally scheduled to be played on Saturday, but a poor weather forecast forced their postponement by 48 hours.
Game One – Lynchburg 8, Emory & Henry 4
Emory & Henry got things started with a run in the top of the first. With junior second baseman Hunter Jeffries (Hickory, N.C.) on third after a single, a balk and a wild pitch, sophomore designated hitter Carson Bryant (Hickory, N.C.) drove him home with a groundout.
In the fourth, the Hornets scored two runs to go up 2-1. An infield single by Will Harris got things with Thomas Powell giving Lynchburg the lead on a sacrifice fly to centerfield. LC added a run in the sixth to go up 3-1 on an outfield error as Matthew Cotton scored from first base.
The Wasps closed the gap to 3-2 in the seventh as freshman first baseman Luke Shepherd (Knoxville, Tenn.) singled to centerfield, plating freshman third baseman Eli Straw (Radford, Va.).
Lynchburg broke the game open with five runs in the bottom half of the seventh on five hits and an error. Ryan Katona hit a two-run single to right field to highlight the inning, making the score 8-2.
E&H got two runs back in the eighth thanks to base hits by senior right fielder Brandon Lineberry (Hillsville, Va.) and Bryant, but the 8-4 margin was as close as it would be.
Brad Hylton went three-for-four with two runs and a RBI while Harris plated two on two hits and a run scored. David Goulding went seven strong innings on the mound to earn the win, striking out 11 while scattering four runs on eight hits.
The Wasps were led by Jeffries with three hits and two runs while Lineberry had a run and a RBI on two hits and a walk. Senior Aaron Sparks (Troutman, N.C.) suffered the loss allowing two earned runs on seven hits with five strikeouts in seven innings of work.
Game Two – Emory & Henry 13, Lynchburg 3
The Wasps never trailed in the nightcap, starting off with a two-run first inning. E&H added a run in the second on a fielding error by the pitcher to make the score 3-0.
Lynchburg tied things up in the bottom of the fifth on three hits and an error. Joe Tomasulo provided the spark with a two-run base hit.
Emory & Henry answered in the seventh with a six-run outpouring on four hits, three walks and a hit batsman to go up 9-3. Freshman shortstop Ross French (Bridgewater, Va.) had a two-run single to left field while as E&H sent 11 batters to the plate in that inning alone.
In the top of the ninth, the Wasps pushed four more runs across for the final 13-3 score. Lineberry had a two-run double while Straw also drove in a run with a two-bagger.
Straw finished the game with three hits, two RBI a walk and a run while Lineberry drove in four runs on two hits with two runs of his own. Freshman second baseman Daulton Horne (Bristol, Va.) scored three times on two hits and added two RBI. Junior right-hander Garrett Butler (Knoxville, Tenn.) picked up the victory with a seven-hit complete-game, allowing two earned runs with a walk and a strikeout.
Emory & Henry will step out of conference play on Tuesday when it hosts Centre College at Porterfield/DeVault Field. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
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-photo courtesy of Caleb Johnston, E&H '15