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Matt Wasson is the first W&L player to hit for the cycle since Scott Gosselink achieved the feat during the 2006 season. |
ASHLAND, Va. — Sophomore pitcher Danny Devereux (Mount Prospect, Ill./Prospect) set a new W&L career saves record, as the Washington and Lee baseball team earned a doubleheader split at 10th-ranked Randolph-Macon on Saturday.
Devereux earned a save in game one and senior left fielder Matt Wasson (Merion Station, Pa./Lower Merion) hit for the cycle, as the Generals (19-7, 10-1 ODAC) won the contest, 11-3. In game two, the Yellow Jackets (17-7, 7-3 ODAC) scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth for a 6-4 come-from-behind victory. The loss in game two ended a nine-game winning streak for the Blue and White.
W&L took an early lead by scoring three runs in the top of the second of game one. Senior designated hitter Anderson Baldy (Tampa, Fla./Berkeley Prep) led off the frame with a triple to right center. Senior first baseman Jonny Swenson (Newnan, Ga./Newnan) followed with an RBI single (1-0) up the middle.
Swenson eventually found himself at third with two outs, and on an 0-2 pitch, Wasson lifted a two-run home run over the left field wall to extend the lead to 3-0. It marked the first homer of the season for Wasson.
The Yellow Jackets trimmed the advantage to one, 3-2, in the bottom of the inning on one-run double by sophomore catcher Ryan Hickman and an RBI infield single by first-year center fielder Ryan Duphorn. The Blue and White got one run back (4-2) in the top of the third on an RBI single by Swenson.
The Generals doubled their lead in the fourth with two runs (6-2). Wasson ripped an RBI triple to right center, and then sophomore shortstop Chadwick Feeley (Jacksonville, Fla./Episcopal School) brought him home with a single to right.
In the sixth, W&L added two more to its total, 8-2, with an RBI double from Feeley and an RBI single to right center by first-year right fielder Ryan Monson (Frisco, Texas/Wakeland). R-MC scored its final run in the seventh, but the Blue and White answered with one in the eighth (9-3). The Generals closed out the contest with a two-run home run to right by junior center fielder Kyle Ruedisili (Jupiter, Fla./The Benjamin School) in the ninth. It marked his third homer of the season.
Wasson is the first W&L baseball player to hit for the cycle since Scott Gosselink achieved the feat during the 2006 season.
Senior Tom Concklin (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central ) started the contest and went 6.0 innings to improve to 5-1. He allowed two runs on six hits with six strikeouts. Devereux pitched the final 3.0 innings to notch his third save of the year. He gave up one run on three hits, while striking out three.
Devereux now has 11 saves in one and a half seasons, which puts him at the top of the W&L career saves list. Devereux was tied with Cory Smith '15 for the all-time record, who finished his career with 10 saves.
Cody Thompson (5-1) started for the Yellow Jackets and suffered the loss. He pitched 3.0 innings, giving up four runs on six hits and four walks.
The Generals led 1-0 entering the sixth inning of game two. With runners on first and third and one out, senior catcher Cory Paton (Ashton, Md./St. Johns College) singled through the right side to push the lead to 2-0. After a fly out, Swenson hit an RBI single to left, and Paton made the score, 4-0, when he crossed the plate on an error by the second baseman.
R-MC trimmed the deficit to 4-2 with two runs in the bottom of the inning. The score remained 4-2 until the eighth. With one out and runners on first and second, R-MC senior first baseman Jay Patti tripled to right center to tie the game (4-4).
The Yellow Jackets then loaded the bases on a hit by pitch and a walk, and scored two more runs on back-to-back walks to take a 6-4 advantage. Junior reliever Brian Morgan (Kennesaw, Ga./Allatoona) escaped without any further damage by recording back-to-back strikeouts.
The Generals went down in order in the ninth to give R-MC the victory. Baldy (1-2) took the loss for W&L. He faced two batters in the eighth without recording an out. He gave up two runs on one hit and one walk. First-year Carson McKoon (Chattanooga, Tenn./McCallie School) started the game for the Blue and White and recorded a no decision. He allowed two runs on six hits in 6.1 innings.
Junior pitcher Christian Cok (1-0) earned the victory for the Yellow Jackets. He gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits in 4.0 innings.
The Generals host Southern Virginia on Monday at 7:00 pm.