LYNCHBURG, Va. - Junior Rick Spiers (South Chesterfield, Va./Matoaca) went 4 for 6 with two runs and one RBI as the third-seeded Randolph-Macon baseball team fell 11-9 in 11 innings to sixth-seeded Roanoke in an elimination game in the ODAC Tournament at City Stadium.
The Yellow Jackets (26-15) scored three in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings, but the Maroons (27-16) tallied two in the top of the 11th to register the victory.
After RC put up two in the top of the second, R-MC answered in the bottom of the third. Freshman Ryan Duphorn (Erial, N.J./Paul VI) had a leadoff single, was sacrificed to second by sophomore Jeff Butler (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch), stole third and scored when junior Cole Migliorini (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) was thrown out trying to steal.
The Yellow Jackets tied the game in the fourth as senior Blake Saathoff (Catonsville, Md./Archbishop Spalding) had a leadoff double and came home on a single by senior Stuart Brown (Midlothian, Va./Trinity) to even the game at 2-2.
After the Maroons reclaimed the lead in the top of the fifth, R-MC responded in the bottom of the frame. Butler was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. With one away, Spiers reached on a bunt single and the errant throw to first allowed Butler to score and Spiers to advance to third. Senior Jay Patti (Sparks, Md./Hereford) singled to plate Spiers, giving the Yellow Jackets a 4-3 victory.
R-MC added a pair in the seventh. Butler led off with a double, moved to third on a base hit by Migliorini and scored on a single by Spiers. A Saathoff sacrifice fly brought home Migliorini, making it a 6-3 contest.
RC would erupt for five in the eighth and one in the ninth to go up 9-6. Migliorini led off the bottom of the ninth with a double, moved to third on a single by Spiers and came home on a base hit by Patti to make it a two-run contest. Saathoff had an RBI groundout and Brown brought home the tying run with a base hit to make it 9-9. RC put up two in the 11th to keep its season alive.
Migliorini finished with three hits and two runs, while seniors Patti, Saathoff and Brown each had two hits and two RBI.
R-MC lost for the first time in 25 chances when leading after seven innings. The Yellow Jackets fell to 0-3 in extra-inning games. R-MC lost for the first time in 19 chances when scoring at least nine runs in a game.