EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Baseball Team (10-28) pounded out 12 hits en route to a 7-5 win over Ferrum College (27-13) Wednesday afternoon at Porterfield/DeVault Field.
The Panthers got on the board in the top of the first and the Wasps answered with a run in the bottom of the second. Sophomore designated hitter Holden Watkins (Ridgeway, Va.) drove in freshman third baseman Eli Straw (Radford, Va.) with a sacrifice fly after Straw led off the inning with a triple.
Both teams got single runs in the third inning with E&H's coming on a two-out solo home run by senior right fielder Brandon Lineberry (Hillsville, Va.). It was Lineberry's 10th round-tripper of the season.
In the fourth, Emory & Henry scored twice to go up 4-2. Senior left fielder Ben Barnett (Knoxville, Tenn.) plated the first run with a squeeze play and sophomore catcher Chris Benton (Blountville, Tenn.) scored one batter later on a throwing error by the first baseman.
The Wasps added three runs in the sixth for a 7-2 advantage. Freshman centerfielder Ben Sexton (Lebanon, Va.) had a RBI single to left field to get things started and junior second baseman Hunter Jeffries (Hickory, N.C.) added a pair with a double down the left field line.
Ferrum scored once in the eighth on a bases loaded double play after the first three batters walked. A bases loaded walk in the top of the ninth and a sacrifice fly on the next at bat drew the score to 7-5 with one out but a pair of pop outs in foul territory sealed the victory for the Wasps.
Jeffries went three-for-five on the day with a double, two RBI and three stolen bases to lead E&H. Benton had a pair of hits, a walk and two runs while Watkins, Lineberry and Barnett each had a hit, a run and a RBI. Junior Nick Lesnak (Blountville, Tenn.) scattered two runs and six hits over seven innings of work striking out three to pick up the win while freshman Logan Forster (Christiansburg, Va.) earned his second save of the season, getting the final three outs.
FC was led offensively by Lane Deaver, who went two –for-three with a pair of walks and two RBI. Lucas Stevers had a run, a hit and a RBI while Clay Massie scored twice on a hit, a walk and a hit by pitch. Brandon Turner suffered the loss, allowing four runs on eight hits in four-plus innings while striking out four.
Emory & Henry will conclude the 2016 season on Saturday when it hosts No. 6 Randolph-Macon College in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference doubleheader. The games, which will serve as Senior Day for the Wasps, are scheduled to begin at noon.
---E&H---
-photo courtesy of Caleb Johnston, E&H '15