MARYVILLE, Tenn. – The Maryville (Tenn.) College Baseball Team (22-11) scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to complete a come-from-behind, 9-8, victory over visiting Emory & Henry College (7-22) Monday afternoon at Scotland Yard. The Scots, who are receiving votes in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division III Top 30 Poll, sweep the season series with the Wasps.
MC jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first thanks in part to six hits. Zack Blonder got the scoring started with a single to left field.
Emory & Henry got on the board in the top of the second when sophomore centerfielder Josh Macek (Concord, N.C.) hit a sacrifice fly to drive in sophomore shortstop Holden Watkins (Ridgeway, Va.). The Wasps took a 6-4 lead after the fourth, scoring five two-out runs on six hits and two wild pitches.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Scots tied the score at six with a pair of runs. Logan Jenkins plated a pair with his at bat in the frame.
E&H went back ahead, 8-6, with single runs in the sixth and seventh. Senior right fielder Brandon Lineberry (Hillsville, Va.) had RBI on a fielder's choice to drive in freshman left fielder Lukas Hart (Abingdon, Va.). Hart drove in Watkins in the seventh with a sacrifice fly to left field.
Maryville got within one in the bottom of the seventh on Clifton Dempsey's sacrifice fly. In the eighth, the Scots tied things up after Jenkins doubled to lead off the inning and came home on a pair of wild pitches. The go-ahead run came on a fielder's choice to shortstop which drove in Blonder.
MC's defense forced E&H to go 1-2-3 in the ninth to preserve the 9-8 victory.
Jenkins went three-for-five with two runs and two RBI while Evan Ezell also had three hits. Blonder scored twice on two hits as well for the Scots. Maryville sent four pitchers to the hill as Jerod Dickey picked up the win, pitching the final 1.1 innings in perfect fashion.
Emory & Henry was paced offensively by Lineberry with two hits, two RBI and a run scored while Watkins scored twice on two hits. Sophomore first baseman Carson Bryant (Hickory, N.C.) and freshman catcher Connor Stevenson (Stephens City, Va.) added two hits apiece in the contest. Sophomore Jacob Collins (Wytheville, Va.) pitched effective innings in relief allowing just one run on four hits and three walks. Sophomore Ryan Mullins (Wise, Va.) suffered the loss.
E&H will return home on Tuesday to host Guilford College in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference game. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
---E&H---
-photo courtesy of Caleb Johnston, E&H '15