For immediate release – 3/21/2014 - #265
Big First Carries Hornets to 8-1 Victory
LYNCHBURG, VA – The Lynchburg College baseball team picked up an important non-conference victory over Tufts University, 8-1, Friday in a game played at Lynchburg City Stadium.
The Hornets wore specially designed jerseys for the game to honor Hornet for Life, Nathan Norman, who was adopted by the team last year after battling a rare form of cancer.
Pat Harris, making his first career start on the mound for the Hornets, surrendering a lead-off double to Connor McDavitt. Harris got the next two Jumbos to fly out before inducing a grounder to second to get out of potential danger.
On the other side, Willie Archibald entered as one of Tufts' hottest pitchers, holding opponents to a .056 batting average against. Joe Rogers singled off Archibald with one out in the first and promptly stole second, moving to third on a throwing error.
Rob Tomasulo stepped into the box and lined a fastball off the Lynchburg College billboard in right field to take a 1-0 lead for LC. One out later, Jay Kenyon sent a moon shot deep to left-center field. The ball continued to sail upward as it cleared the wall to the right of the scoreboard to spot the Hornets the 3-0 advantage.
A Matt Moser double and Nick Cutsumpas single got the Jumbos on the board in the second, but Harris struck out McDavitt to get out of the inning.
Lynchburg added a pair of insurance runs in third as a throwing error allowed Dustin Arrowood to score before Joe Tomasulo singled in Kenyon.
RBI singles by Drew Taylor and Lincoln Evans in the fifth and a seventh-inning sacrifice fly by Rogers capped off the Hornet scoring.
Harris (2-0) finished with two walks and two strikeouts, allowing six hits in a career-high 6 1/3 innings. Zac Patrick finished the game with 2 2/3 hitless innings for Lynchburg while striking out four.
Kenyon and Joe Tomasulo had three hits each while Kenyon drove in two runs and scored two more.
Archibald (0-1) allowed 12 hits in six innings for Tufts (8-1), while striking out a pair and allowing six earned runs.
Lynchburg (12-4) hosts Division II member Bluefield State College (8-11) Saturday for a doubleheader at 1 p.m. in City Stadium.