Lynchburg Baseball Gets Past Emory & Henry Twice Saturday In ODAC Tilt

Ross French flips the ball to Andrew Francisco at second base.
-photo courtesy of Kylie Lang

EMORY, Va. – The University of Lynchburg Baseball Team (12-13, 5-5 ODAC) earned two Old Dominion Athletic Conference wins against Emory & Henry College (3-20, 0-10 ODAC) Saturday afternoon. The Hornets picked up the first win by a 14-8 score in game one and claimed a 12-5 victory in the nightcap.

The Basics
GAME ONE
– Lynchburg 14, Emory & Henry 8
GAME TWO – Lynchburg 12, Emory & Henry 5
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE Wasps Field
RECORDS
– Emory & Henry (3-20, 0-10 ODAC); Lynchburg (12-13, 5-5 ODAC)

Game One
Emory & Henry got on the board in the bottom of the first when sophomore first baseman Joe Tolone (Concord, N.C.) doubled to left center. Lynchburg responded with four runs in the top of the second, highlighted by a two-run double down the left field line by Carrson Atkins. The Hornets added another two in the third to go up 6-1.

A pair of doubles by seniors Andrew Francisco (Abingdon, Va.) and Ben Sexton (Lebanon, Va.) in the third drew the score to 6-3. Brandon Pond hit a two-run home run in the sixth to press the margin to 8-3. After a sacrifice fly by E&H junior Corbin Hockensmith (Huntersville, N.C.) in the sixth, Holden Fielder hit a two run shot in the seventh for Lynchburg.

The two teams traded runs over the final three innings with Tolone and Sexton adding RBI base hits. The Hornets tacked on three more in the top of the ninth on their way to a 14-8 win.

Brandon Pond earned the win in relief, throwing 3.2 innings with three runs on four hits and three strikeouts. E&H sophomore J.T. Agosto (Cornelius, N.C.) took the loss, allowing six runs on five hits in two innings.

Game Two
Lynchburg opened up a 3-0 lead in the top of the third but Emory & Henry tied the game, 3-3, in the bottom of the fourth.  A three-run home run by Kinston Carson in the fifth sparked nine straight runs for the Hornets, giving them a 12-3 advantage. Emory & Henry scored twice in the bottom of the ninth on a fielder's choice by senior left fielder Logan Forster (Christiansburg, Va.) and a single to left field by senior shortstop Ross French (Bridgewater, Va.) for the final 12-5 margin.

Hunter Campbell went eight innings in the win, allowing just one earned run on four hits while striking out seven. Wasp junior Toby Robson (Blythewood, S.C.)  suffered the setback, allowing six run on six hits in 4.1 innings with four strikeouts.

Up Next
Emory & Henry will step out of ODAC play on Tuesday when it hosts Maryville (Tenn.) College at 3:00 p.m.

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