BRIDGEWATER, Va. –Bridgewater College picked up two key baseball victories Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader sweep of Hampden-Sydney College.
The Eagles scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to win the opener 9-8 and then used a 10-run, fifth-inning outburst to defeat the Tigers 13-1 in the second game.
Bridgewater (21-9-1, 10-6 overall) moved closer to securing a spot in the six-team conference tournament. Hampden-Sydney (10-20-1, 7-10) watched its playoff hopes take a hit with the two losses.
Hampden-Sydney broke open a scoreless game in the opener with four runs in the top of the fourth. With one out, Spencer Wiles doubled and a two-out walk to Jack Elliott put two runners on. Lee Carneal put the Tigers on the board with a single and Reggie Johnson followed with a two-run double, giving the visitors a 3-0 lead. Ryan Haynie plated Johnson with a base hit to left, making the score 4-0.
The Eagles responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Ryan Leake led off with a walk and moved around to third on Cavin Clyde's double. Leake scored on a single by Brandon Poole and Clyde crossed the plate on Hunter Hensley's single as the Eagles cut the deficit in half. Derrik Walling singled to load the bases and Austin Batten plated a run with an infield grounder, pulling the Eagles to within 4-3.
Hampden-Sydney regained a four-run lead with three runs in the top of the fifth. John Lloyd reached safely on a one-out double and a two-out walk to Jeff Gray ended the day for Eagles starter Justin Petock. Jack Elliott greeted Bridgewater reliever Steven Woerner with a three-run homer to right, giving the Tigers a 7-3 advantage.
Once again, the Eagles answered, this time with three runs in the bottom of the fifth to pull back to within one. Brendan Howell and Leake led off with consecutive singles and a bunt single by Clyde loaded the bases with no outs. Howell scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-4 and a base hit by Poole scored Leake to trim the deficit to 7-5. Clyde scored from third on a throwing error to make it a one-run game, 7-6.
The Tigers took advantage of two errors to add a run in the seventh, making the score 8-6. Lloyd led off the inning with a double and Wiles reached on an error. With runners at first and second, the Tigers put on a double steal. Lloyd scored on the play when catcher Hunter Hensley's throw glanced off Batten's glove into shallow left field.
Bridgewater scratched for a run in the eighth to make it a one-run game. With two outs, Yoder singled and moved to second on a wild pitch. Kenner Berry then delivered a run-scoring single to center, making the score 8-7.
Down by one, Clyde got things started in the bottom of the ninth with a one-out double down the left-field line. Poole greeted Tigers' reliever Teddy West with an opposite-field, bloop double just inside the left-field line, scoring Clyde with the tying run. Hensley then hit a grounder to shortstop and Poole scored the winning run when the low throw to first skipped past the first baseman.
The Eagles pounded out 16 hits in Game 1 with Poole leading the way with a 3-for-5 day at the plate and three RBIs. Clyde had three hits and scored three runs while Batten, Leake and Hensley added two hits each.
Woerner got the win with 4.1 innings of relief work. He allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits.
Wiles and Johnson had three hits each to pace the Tigers 12-hit attack.
Bridgewater took the lead in the second game with three runs in the third. Poole led off with a double and moved to third on Hensley's sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Batten swung at a third strike in the dirt, but reached safely when the ball bounced away from the catcher. Yoder then belted a long fly to the gap in left center. Centerfield Dustin Wiles made a diving attempt, but was unable to make the catch. Yoder rounded the bases for a three-run, inside-the-park homer, giving BC a 3-0 lead.
Things got away from the Tigers in the fifth as three consecutive errors opened the door for a 10-run inning. Poole and Hensley led off with back-to-back singles and both moved up on Walling's sac bunt. Batten lined out to short before two infield errors and a dropped fly ball allowed the Eagles to score four runs, making the score 7-0. After Leake walked, Clyde singled home a run for an 8-0 Eagles lead. Poole was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Hensley followed with a two-run single, making the score 10-0. Walling cleared the bases with a line-drive, three-run homer down the right-field line, giving the Eagles a 13-0 lead.
Eagles' starter Chad Lenz picked up the win on the mound with seven scoreless innings. He allowed just four hits and walked one batter. The freshman lefty struck out four.
Clyde, Poole and Hensley each had a pair of hits in Game 2. Walling and Yoder each drove in three runs.