EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Baseball Team (9-25) split a pair of non-conference games Wednesday afternoon against Greensboro College (10-28) at Porterfield/DeVault Field. The Wasps earned a 4-3 victory in game one while the Pride salvaged the split with a 5-7 win in the nightcap.
Game One – Emory & Henry 4, Greensboro 3
E&H jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Sophomore centerfielder Josh Macek (Concord, N.C.) was hit by a pitch with two outs and junior second baseman Hunter Jeffries (Hickory, N.C.) drew a walk to put a pair on base. Senior right fielder Brandon Lineberry (Hillsville, Va.) tagged a 1-0 pitch over the right field fence for his eighth round-tripper of the year.
Greensboro answered with three runs in the fourth to tie the game. With two outs and the bases loaded, Adam Murray cleared the bases with a double to right field.
The Wasps went back ahead in the bottom of the fourth when sophomore third baseman Holden Watkins (Ridgeway, Va.) took the first pitch of the inning over the left field fence.
E&H got a pair of base runners in the fifth and sixth but was unable to push another run across but the defense held strong to seal the 4-3 victory.
Lineberry and Watkins provided the spark with their home runs while freshman Gavin Felty (Bristol, Va.) earned his third victory in a row. The right-hander scattered five hits and two strikeouts over the game allowing just three hits.
Zach Brannon suffered the loss, allowing four runs on two hits while walking two.
Game Two – Greensboro 7, Emory & Henry 5
The Pride took a 3-0 lead in the second inning with a trio of runs highlighted by a two-run double by Edward Mililan. Greensboro added a run in the third to go up 4-0.
In the bottom of the third, Emory & Henry scored four runs to tie the contest. Lineberry and freshman third baseman Eli Straw (Radford, Va.) had RBI base hits in the inning while sophomore designated hitter Carson Bryant (Hickory, N.C.) tallied a sacrifice fly.
GC went back ahead in the fifth when Zach Neumeister hit a RBI single and added a pair of runs in the sixth on a home run by Kerry Rice for a 7-4 advantage.
Emory & Henry got a run back in the bottom of the sixth to make it 7-5, but left two runners on base and was unable to score in its half of the seventh.
Mililan went two-for-two with two runs and two RBI while Rice drove in three with his two hits and scored once. Jeff Waring picked up the win, allowing five runs on seven hits with three strikeouts as Brian Robbett earned the save.
Freshman second baseman Daulton Horne (Bristol, Va.) was two-for-four with a runs scored while Lineberry and Bryant each had a hit, a run and a RBI. Junior Nick Lesnak (Bluff City, Tenn.) took the loss, allowing five runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings pitched.
Emory & Henry will travel Saturday for its final two road contests of the year. The Wasps will take on the Generals of Washington and Lee University in an ODAC doubleheader beginning at noon.
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-photo courtesy of Caleb Johnston, E&H '15