EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry University Baseball Team (13-29, 5-19 SAC) split a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader with Newberry College (22-20, 11-16 SAC) inside Porterfield-DeVault Stadium Sunday afternoon. The Wasps took game one by a 5-1 final, before falling 4-1 in the nightcap. Senior third baseman Steven Smith (Salisbury, N.C.) established a new program standard for single-season hits with his 69th of the year on a two-run home run in game one.
The Basics
GAME ONE – Emory & Henry 5, Newberry 1
GAME TWO – Newberry 4, Emory & Henry 1 (Seven Innings)
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – Porterfield-DeVault Field
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (13-29, 5-19 SAC); Newberry (22-20, 11-16 SAC)
Game One - Emory & Henry 5, Newberry 1
The Wasps struck first in the bottom of the first inning when freshman shortstop Jaret Hoppes (Taylorsville, N.C.) drew a walk, Smith doubled and senior first baseman Jacob Bebber (Taylorsville, N.C.) singled to score Hoppes and make it 1-0. Both starting pitchers settled in through the middle stages of the game as both teams were kept off of the scoreboard through the fifth, but E&H got back in the scoring column in the home half of the sixth. Hoppes reached on a single and Smith slugged his tenth home run of the year to push the Wasps' advantage out to 3-0.
The Wolves got a run back in the top of the seventh on a pair of hits, but E&H had an immediate response in the bottom of the inning. Fifth-year outfielder Triston Hensley (Covington, Va.) led off with a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from fifth-year catcher Camden Bailey (Sterling, Ill.). Fifth-year outfielder Matt Hill (Pineville, N.C.) and fifth-year second baseman Jared Foley (Sparta, N.C.) each reached via the walk to load the bases. Hoppes drove in one run with an RBI infield single and Hill scampered home on a wild pitch to increase the score out to its final at 5-1.
Sophomore lefty Drew Lanzo (Indian Trail, N.C.) was masterful on the hill as he allowed just one run on two hits with one strikeout over six innings of work to pick up the win. Freshman pitcher Cole Gillis (Charlotte, N.C.) and fifth-year reliever Jack Swarbrick (Haverhill, Mass.) combined for three scoreless innings of relief out of the bullpen to help clinch the win. Ethan Lebron was tagged with the loss after surrendering five runs on seven hits with five strikeouts in 6.2 innings. Smith led the way for the Wasps with two RBIs on a pair of hits while Hoppes and Bebber each drove in a run.
Game Two - Newberry 4, Emory & Henry 1 (Seven Innings)
The visitors were on the board first in the second game of the doubleheader as the Wolves pushed across one run on a hit and a pair of walks to take the early 1-0 lead. E&H answered back in the bottom of the inning. Smith roped a double to the gap in left-center and came around to touch home on an RBI single off the bat of Bebber to knot the score at 1-1 through one inning of play.
It was all Newberry offensively from that point on as the Wolves scored one run in each of the second, third and fifth innings on their way to the 4-1 victory. Jacob Clark earned the win for Newberry after scattering just one run on four hits with a pair of strikeouts in four innings. Brayden Gilson threw three scoreless innings of relief out of the bullpen to pick up his fifth save of the season and second of the weekend. Junior pitcher Brady Halstead (Indian Trail, N.C.) was saddled with the loss as he allowed a pair of runs on four hits in just 1.1 innings. Six different Wasps recorded one hit each, with Bebber driving in the lone run of the game.
Up Next
The Wasps step out of SAC play on Tuesday when they welcome the Mountain Lions of Concord University to Emory. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. from Porterfield-DeVault Field.
--E&H--