EMORY, Va. – The Hampden-Sydney College Baseball Team (26-13, 10-10 ODAC) picked up a pair of Old Dominion Athletic Conference wins Saturday afternoon over Emory & Henry College (9-27, 5-15 ODAC) at Porterfield/DeVault Field. The Tigers won by game scores of 5-4 and 9-4 to complete the sweep.
The Wasps honored their five seniors, Zack Hill (Fries, Va.), Brogan Hoover (Stephens City, Va.), Caleb Rotton (Boiling Springs, S.C.), D.J. Russ (Greensboro, N.C.) and Connor Wise (Cookeville, Tenn.) prior to the start of game one.
Game One – Hampden-Sydney 5, Emory & Henry 4
Emory & Henry got out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a double to left centerfield by Rotton, scoring junior Jordan Woullard (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) who drew a leadoff walk.
HSC took a 2-1 lead in the third after a RBI groundout by Hunter Lewis and a sacrifice fly by Lee Carneal.
In the bottom of the fourth, E&H regained its advantage, scoring runs on a single by Russ and on a two-out fielding error by the shortstop that allowed Hill to reach base safely. Emory & henry added a run for a 4-2 lead in the sixth when Hill singled to right centerfield, plating Hoover who walked with two outs to get things started.
The Tigers got a run back in the seventh on Kyle Lung's single up the middle, driving in Andrew Tucker from second base. Hampden-Sydney made it 5-4 with two runs in the ninth as Tucker and Christian Hamlett each had RBI-base hits.
With Emory & Henry unable to get a runner aboard in the bottom of the ninth, Dylan Gonzales earned the save.
Carneal had three hits and a RBI for the Tigers while Tucker, Lung and Hamlett each notched two hits, a run and a RBI. Matt Hinson picked up the win in relief, allowing on runs on one hit with two strikeouts in two innings of work.
Rotton, Wise and Russ each notched multi-hit games with Rotton and Russ adding RBI. Junior left-hander Aaron Sparks (Troutman, N.C.) went the distance, allowing five runs on 11 hits with three strikeouts.
Game Two – Hampden-Sydney 9, Emory & Henry 4
The Tigers scored single runs in each of the first six innings for a 6-2 lead midway through the sixth.
Emory & Henry got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the third. Sophomore third baseman Chase Kirk (Knoxville, Tenn.) highlighted the frame with a double down the left field line, scoring junior first baseman Bransen Christopher (Hickory, N.C.).
The Wasps closed the gap to 6-4 in the bottom of the sixth with a RBI base hit by Hill, scoring Kirk. Hill came home one batter later on a throwing error by the second baseman.
Hampden-Sydney added three insurance runs in the eighth. Carneal had a two-run double down the left field line to highlight the inning while Spencer Wiles capped the scoring with a single to left field.
Hamlett was four-for-six with three runs scored while Lewis had three hits. Carneal notched two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored as well for the Tigers. Lewis picked up the win, scattering nine hits and four runs over seven innings pitched with two strikeouts.
Emory & Henry was led at the plate by Christopher, who had three hits, a run scored and a RBI. Kirk and Hill each had two hits and drove in a run each while Woullard added two runs. Sophomore Ty Hill (Knoxville, Tenn.) suffered the loss allowing six runs on 10 hits with two walks in five-plus innings of work.
E&H will now await the announcement of the 2014 All-ODAC Teams, which will come in conjunction with the ODAC Tournament, held next weekend at City Stadium in Lynchburg, home of the Carolina League's Lynchburg Hillcats.
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