LEXINGTON, Va. – The Washington and Lee baseball team scored three runs with two outs in the ninth inning of game two to earn a 3-2 win and a split of an ODAC doubleheader with Hampden-Sydney on Saturday afternoon at Cap'n Dick Smith Field.
H-SC (15-13, 5-5 ODAC) rallied from an 8-5 deficit late in game one to force extra innings before scoring four runs in the 11th inning en route to a 12-8 win in the opener, before the Generals (10-10, 7-3) used their own late-inning heroics to capture the nightcap.
In the opener, it appeared that W&L had things in hand as the Generals took a 8-5 lead with four runs in the sixth inning, including a two-out, two-run double off the bat of sophomore Will Salley (Augusta, Ga./Westside). However, the Tigers came back with a single run in the seventh to cut W&L's lead to 8-6, before junior Erick Hermann (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run) hit a two-run single with two outs in the eighth to pull H-SC even at 8-8.
The two teams combined to put just one runner aboard over the next three innings before the Tigers sent nine men to the plate in the 11th inning, scratching across four runs to secure the 12-8 win.
For W&L, junior Roger Strong (Spencerport, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit) started and allowed five runs on nine hits and a walk in 4.0 innings. First-year Jake Rudolph (Cordova, Tenn./Memphis University School) was tagged with the loss, surrendering four runs on four hits and a walk in 2.2 innings of relief.
Salley led the Generals at the plate, finishing 3-for-6 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Sophomore Alex Maragos (Chicago, Ill./Loyola) had two hits in six at-bats with an RBI and two runs scored and senior Anthony Cardona (Lower Gwynedd, Pa./Chestnut Hill) was 2-for-6 with two runs scored and two stolen bases.
Senior Kyle Grantier (Danville, Va./Geroge Washington) earned the win for the Tigers with 5.0 innings of relief. He allowed four runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk with five strikeouts.
Senior Herbie Williams (Danville, Va./George Washington) was 2-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs to lead Hampden-Sydney. Sophomore Beau Flinchum (Ashland, Va./Hanover) was 3-for-5 with a run and two RBIs and first-year Hunter Lewis (Newport News, Va./Mechville) was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs.
In game two, Cardona hit a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the ninth to give the Generals the 3-2 win.
W&L entered the ninth inning trailing 2-0 as the Tigers scratched across a run in the first when Williams was walked, stole second, advanced to third on an error and scored on a double-play groundout. The Tigers then went up 2-0 in the sixth inning on an RBI single by sophomore Patrick Kuhns (Stafford, Va./North Stafford), one of just three hits for Hampden-Sydney in game two.
In the ninth, H-SC senior Mike Blanchard (Roanoke, Va./Roanoke Catholic) got Maragos to fly out to lead off the inning before walking Salley. Junior Nick Caporale (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) replaced Blanchard on the mound and promptly struck out W&L sophomore Chris Nault (Atlanta, Ga./Riverwood).
Caporale then hit sophomore Mike Savas (Bernardsville, N.J./Delbarton) before sophomore pinch-hitter George Youmans (Westlake Village, Calif./Oaks Christian) cut W&L's deficit to 2-1 with an RBI single.
A walk to junior Mike Decembrino (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) loaded the bases and the Tigers brought in sophomore Luke Rabiej (Alexandria, Va./Bishop Ireton) to face Cardona. Cardona came through for the Generals with a two-run base hit to left that brought home Savas and Youmans and made a winner of senior Gregg Laswell (Houston, Texas/Memorial).
Laswell, who took a no hitter into the sixth inning, improved to 3-1 on the season as he allowed two runs on three hits and three walks with 10 strikeouts in tossing his second complete game in as many starts.
Junior Alston James (Columbia, S.C./Hammond) led the Generals, going 3-for-4 at the plate as W&L managed only seven hits in the game. Sophomore Alex Mait (Chesterfield, Va./Clover Hill) was 1-for-2 with a double.
For Hampden-Sydney, Caporale was tagged with the loss, allowing two runs on one hit and one walk in 0.1 innings. Blanchard earned a no-decision after limiting W&L to one run on five hits, two walks and seven strikeouts in 8.1 innings. Williams finished 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs and a stolen base for the Tigers.
The Generals return to action on Tuesday when they travel to Eastern Mennonite for a 3:00 pm contest.