EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Baseball Team (8-32) split a non-conference doubleheader with Mansfield University (9-24) Saturday afternoon. The Mountaineers slugged their way to a 22-11 win in game one before the Wasps responded with a 12-8 victory in the nightcap.
The Basics
GAME ONE – Mansfield 22, Emory & Henry 11
GAME TWO – Emory & Henry 12, Mansfield 8 (Seven Innings)
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – Porterfield-DeVault Field
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (8-32, 4-20 SAC); Mansfield 9-24, 3-17 PSAC)
Game One - Mansfield 22, Emory & Henry 11
The visitors wasted no time as they tallied two runs in the first and eight more in the second to take a 10-0 lead. The Wasps got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sophomore catcher Garrison Bullock (Concord, N.C.) led off the inning with a solo home run for his fifth of the season. Junior third baseman Steven Smith (Salisbury, N.C.) doubled and scored on an RBI single from senior outfielder Jared Foley (Sparta, N.C.) to reduce the deficit to 10-2.
The Mountaineers answered with three runs in the top of the fifth and tacked on four more in the top of the sixth to push their advantage back out to 17-2. Smith and senior shortstop Kolby Anderson (King William, Va.) were hit by pitches to lead off the sixth and senior outfielder Triston Hensley (Covington, Va.) drew a walk to load the bases. Foley delivered once more with a two-RBI single to plate Smith and Anderson. Fifth-year second baseman Noah Mazza (Plainfield, Ill.) drove in another with an RBI single and junior first baseman Jacob Bebber (Taylorsville, N.C.) walked to load the bases again. Bullock cleared the bases with his second long ball of the afternoon to draw the Wasps within eight. Fifth-year outfielder Christian Schmidt (Fuquay-Varina, N.C.) followed with a solo shot, his first of the year, and the score stood at 17-10 after six innings of play.
Bullock's big afternoon at the plate was not done, as he launched his third home run of the day in the bottom of the eighth to pull E&H within 18-11. Mansfield scored four insurance runs in the top of the ninth to take the 22-11 victory.
Austin Lewis earned the win on the mound for the Mountaineers, scattering two runs and four hits while striking out 10 batters over five innings of work. Fifth-year pitcher Zach Clover (Cary, N.C.) took the loss for E&H after allowing 10 runs on nine hits in 1 ⅓ innings. Bullock led the way offensively for the Wasps with four hits and six RBIs. Foley chipped in with a pair of knocks and three driven in.
Game Two - Emory & Henry 12, Mansfield 8 (Seven Innings)
The Wasps flipped the script in game two of the doubleheader, taking the lead in the bottom of the first. Mazza walked and Smith doubled to lead off the inning. Foley drove in a run on an RBI groundout and another run scored on an error to make it 2-0. Freshman catcher Nick Morris (Mint Hill, N.C.) laced a two-RBI double down the line in right and E&H took an early 4-0 lead. Mansfield immediately answered back with five runs on three hits in the top of the second but E&H retook the lead in the bottom of the second. Smith launched a solo bomb to center to tie the game and Bebber drilled an RBI single through the middle of the diamond to push the Wasps back ahead 6-5.
Mansfield tied things up again in the top of the fourth, but Foley left the yard in the bottom of the inning with a two-run homer to make it 8-6. The Pioneers scored one more in the top of the fifth, but once again The Wasps had an answer. Mazza laced an RBI single to center field to score Hensley and increase the E&H advantage to 9-7. E&H tacked on three insurance runs in the home half of the sixth inning. Foley hit his second long ball of the game, this one of the solo variety, Morris drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Hensley added an RBI single down the line to balloon the Wasps' advantage out to 12-7. The Mountaineers scored one in the top of the seventh, but the home team held on for the 12-8 win to salvage the doubleheader split.
Senior right-handed pitcher Bryson Wagner (Salisbury, N.C.) was the winning pitcher as he went the distance, surrendering eight runs on nine hits while fanning 12 Mountaineers to increase his SAC-leading season total to 69. Eric Gustofson was handed the loss after giving up eight runs on eight hits over 3 ⅔ innings. Foley led the offensive charge in game two with three hits and four RBIs, extending his hit streak to 19 games. Morris finished with three RBIs in the win.
Up Next
The Wasps wrap up the three-game series on Sunday with a single nine-inning game. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. from Porterfield-DeVault Field.
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