EMORY, Va. - The No. 6 Randolph-Macon College Baseball Team (28-6-1, 14-6 ODAC) earned a pair of victories over Emory & Henry College (10-30, 4-16 ODAC) Saturday afternoon at Porterfield/DeVault Field in Old Dominion Athletic Conference action. The Yellow Jackets, who are ranked as the No. 6 team in NCAA Division III by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper took the wins by scores of 22-1 and 19-7.
The doubleheader also served as Senior Day for the Wasps, who honored their six seniors prior to the start of game one.
Game One – No. 6 Randolph-Macon 22, Emory & Henry 1
After three innings of scoreless baseball, RMC got its offense going. The Yellow Jackets scored three runs in the fourth and five in the fifth to open up an 8-0 lead. Randolph-Macon added five runs in the seventh to go up 13-0.
Emory & Henry got on the board in the bottom of the seventh. Senior right fielder Brandon Lineberry (Hillsville, Va.) hit a one-out single to get things started and advanced to third thanks to an error and a fly out. Sophomore shortstop Holden Watkins (Ridgeway, Va.) drove in Lineberry with a single through the left side to make the score 13-1.
The Yellow Jackets tacked on nine runs in the eighth for the final margin. In E&H's last time at bat, Lineberry ripped a leadoff base hit to right centerfield for his 19th double of the season and a new program record.
Four different RMC players had three hits led by Michael Trentham, who went three-for-six with three runs and four RBI. James Walsh earned the win, allowing just one hit in six innings of work while striking out 10 and Jake Ottinger earned the three-inning save.
Lineberry had two of the team's five hits and its only run of the game. Senior Aaron Sparks (Troutman, N.C.) suffered the loss, allowing eight runs in 5.1 innings pitched.
Game Two – No. 6 Randolph-Macon 19, Emory & Henry 7
Emory & Henry took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Lineberry drove in Watkins with a single through the left side.
Randolph-Macon scored single runs in the second, third and fourth frames to go up 3-1 and added four in the fifth for a 7-1 advantage. In the sixth, Cole Migliorini hit a two-run homer down the right field line as part of a three-run inning. Nick Maiolo hit a three-run shot in the seventh to highlight a five-run frame which put the Yellow Jackets ahead, 15-1.
The Wasps scored a run in the seventh as Watkins led off with a single and came around to score thanks to a base hit and a throwing error on a double play attempt.
RMC tacked on four runs in the eighth to lead 19-2. In the bottom of the ninth, Emory & Henry scored five runs for the final 19-7 margin. Sophomore first baseman Carson Bryant (Hickory, N.C.) and freshman centerfielder Ben Sexton (Lebanon, Va.) each had RBI base hits in the inning while freshman Logan Forster (Christiansburg, Va.) drew a bases loaded walk for another run. Sophomore Zach Smith (Powder Springs, Ga.) had a pinch-hit, two-run double to cap the scoring.
The Yellow Jackets saw seven players record three or more hits in the game led by Stuart Brown, who went five-for-six with four RBI and three runs scored. Migliorini ended the game with four hits, four runs and three RBI. Rick Spiers picked up the win, allowing one run on five hits with six strikeouts in five innings pitched.
Junior second baseman Hunter Jeffries (Hickory, N.C.) led the way with three hits and a run while Watkins and Bryant each had a pair of base knocks. Junior Garrett Butler (Knoxville, Tenn.) took the loss, pitching five plus innings and striking out four.
With the season complete, Emory & Henry will now await the release of the 2016 All-ODAC Teams which will come on Thursday as part of the 2016 ODAC Tournament.
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-photo courtesy of Caleb Johnston, E&H '15