EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry University Baseball Team (7-18, 3-11 SAC) split a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader with No. 13 nationally-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne University (20-4, 8-3 SAC) Friday afternoon. The Wasps topped the Bears 14-9 in the opener, before dropping game two by a 14-0 final score. The victory over the No. 13 team in the country marks the highest-ranked opponent E&H has defeated in the Division II era.
The Basics
GAME ONE – Emory & Henry 14, No. 13 Lenoir-Rhyne 9
GAME TWO – No. 13 Lenoir-Rhyne 14, Emory & Henry 0 (Seven Innings)
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – Porterfield-DeVault Field
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (7-18, 3-11 SAC); Lenoir-Rhyne (20-4, 8-3 SAC)
Game One - Emory & Henry 14, Lenoir-Rhyne 9
After a scoreless first inning, the Wasps got on the board in the home half of the second. Fifth-year first baseman Triston Hensley (Covington, Va.) led off with a single and moved up to third on a groundout and a wild pitch. Another wild pitch saw Hensley cross home and give the Wasps a 1-0 advantage. The Bears responded in the top of the third with four runs on two hits, including a three-run shot from Sal Carricato to take the lead at 4-1. LR added another run in the top of the fourth on a Mackenzie Wainwright RBI single to push the margin out to 5-1.
Emory & Henry chipped away at the deficit in the bottom of the fifth when freshman shortstop Jaret Hoppes (Taylorsville, N.C.) drilled a two-out single and came around to score on an RBI double from senior third baseman Steven Smith (Salisbury, N.C.). Fifth-year designated hitter Caeden Howell (Roaring River, N.C.) delivered an RBI single to plate Smith and the score stood at 5-3. The Bears would go on to score three more runs in the top of the sixth inning, but E&H had an immediate response in the bottom of the inning. Hensley singled, senior outfielder Khadeem Lewis (Chesterfield, Va.) drew a walk and fifth-year catcher Camden Bailey (Sterling, Ill.) reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Sophomore second baseman Jack Ferguson (Abingdon, Va.) drew a bases loaded walk and fifth-year outfielder Matt Hill (Pineville, N.C.) was hit by a pitch to plate two more runs. Fifth-year outfielder Jared Foley (Sparta, N.C.) scored Bailey on a sacrifice bunt and Smith followed two batters later with a two-RBI single to tie the game at 8-8 through six innings of play.
The Emory & Henry bats exploded in the bottom of the seventh to give them the lead once more. Hensley, Lewis and Bailey all singled to load the bases for Ferguson who drew a walk to push a run across. Lewis scored on a wild pitch and Hill was hit by yet another pitch to reload the bases with Wasps. An RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Foley scored Bailey and another successful sacrifice bunt from Hoppes allowed Ferguson to score. Smith and Howell struck for back-to-back RBI doubles and the home team established a 14-8 margin. The Bears would tally one run in the top of the eighth, but it was nowhere near enough as E&H took the series opener by a 14-9 final score.
Freshman pitcher Hunter Word (Kenbridge, Va.) picked up the win on the mound for the Wasps after allowing just one run, unearned, over 1.1 innings of work. Nathen Morris was saddled with the loss for LR as he scattered four runs on four hits in just one inning on the mound. Fifth-year reliever Jack Swarbrick (Haverhill, Mass.) came in to record the final six outs of the game and clinch the victory for the Wasps. Smith led the offense for E&H as he finished with four hits and four RBIs while scoring a pair of runs himself. Hensley added three hits and three runs scored while Foley, Howell and Ferguson all drove in a pair of runs.
Game Two - Lenoir-Rhyne 14, Emory & Henry 0 (Seven Innings)
Game two of the doubleheader was all Bears as they tallied one run in the second, five in the third and eight more in the fourth on their way to the 14-0 shutout win.
William Girardi was the winning pitcher for Lenoir-Rhyne as he gave up just two hits and struck out nine batters over six innings on the hill. Sophomore pitcher Jacob Iverson (Fort Mill, S.C.) took the loss for the Wasps after allowing six runs, four earned, and six hits with a pair of strikeouts in 2.2 innings. Foley and Smith accounted for the lone two hits for E&H.
Up Next
The two teams will wrap up the three-game series on Saturday with a single nine-inning affair. First pitch is scheduled for noon from Porterfield-DeVault Field.
--E&H--