EMORY, Va. – The Limestone University Baseball Team (18-25, 10-12 SAC) took both games of a doubleheader over Emory & Henry College (11-32, 3-17 SAC) to wrap up a three-game South Atlantic Conference weekend series on Saturday afternoon. The Saints took game one by an 8-3 score then bested the Wasps by a 7-3 margin in game two. E&H honored its seniors prior to the start of game one of the doubleheader.
The Basics
GAME ONE – Limestone 8, Emory & Henry 3
GAME TWO – Limestone 7, Emory & Henry 5 (seven innings)
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – Porterfield-DeVault Field
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (11-32, 3-17 SAC); Limestone (18-25, 10-12 SAC)
Game One – Limestone 8, Emory & Henry 3
The Saints broke through in the run column in the top of the second inning. Davis Turner ripped an RBI single through the right side of the infield and Adams Faucett brought home two more on an RBI double into left-center to make it 3-0. Limestone added another in the top of the fourth on an RBI infield hit by Noah Love to run their advantage to 4-0.
The Wasps responded in the bottom of the fifth inning. Senior outfielder Jermie Greene, Jr. (Troutman, N.C.) drew a leadoff walk, junior first baseman McCray Sawyers (Stuart, Va.) singled and they each moved up on a sacrifice bunt from freshman catcher Garrison Bullock (Concord, N.C.). Junior second baseman Jared Foley (Sparta, N.C.) came up clutch with a two-out, two-RBI single to plate Greene, Jr. and Sawyers and bring E&H within two at 4-2.
Limestone posted two more in the top of the sixth as Love laced a two-RBI double down the line in left to increase the Saints' margin back to 6-2. Junior outfielder Wayne Mize (Salisbury, N.C.) launched his team-leading 11th home run of the season to lead off the home half of the sixth to make it a 6-3 ballgame. LU would again have an answer in the top of the seventh as Gavin Troyer and Turner led off the inning with back-to-back solo home runs to push the margin out to the final score of 8-3.
Marty Neal earned the winning decision on the mound for the Saints as he allowed three runs and six hits while striking out nine batters over six innings of work. Junior right-handed pitcher Bryson Wagner (Salisbury, N.C.) was saddled with the loss after surrendering ten hits and six runs while fanning three in 5.1 innings.
Game Two – Limestone 7, Emory & Henry 5 (seven innings)
Limestone was first on the scoreboard for the third time in as many games as Turner pounded a two-run bomb over the wall in the visiting half of the second to put LU ahead 2-0. Peter Adams added an RBI single and a fielder's choice forced home another run and the Saints led 4-0.
Another fielder's choice from Adams in the top of the third gave Limestone the 5-0 advantage and Dylan Shugan drilled a solo homer to give the Saints a comfortable 6-0 lead after four innings of play. Turner then led off the top of the fifth with his second bomb of the afternoon to push it to 7-0.
The Wasps broke through in the bottom of the sixth as Mize roped a ground-rule double to left to lead off, Sawyers doubled to score Mize and junior designated hitter Cole Cunningham (Wake Forest, N.C.) left the yard to pull E&H within four at 7-3. The Wasps loaded the bases with only one out in the bottom of the deciding seventh inning and junior catcher Lane Gay (Keedysville, Md.) singled through the left side to plate a pair and make it a 7-5 game. The Saints would buckle down and record the final out to escape with the win.
Andrew Dye was the winning pitcher for Limestone as he went six innings, allowing eight hits and three runs while fanning seven batters. Junior Andrew Parr (Opelika, Ala.) took the loss for E&H, scattering four runs and four hits while striking out one over 1.2 innings.
Up Next
Emory & Henry will close out the 2023 home schedule on Wednesday against the Mountain Lions of Concord University. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at Porterfield-DeVault Field.
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