For immediate release – 4/6/2013 - #347
Conventional First Game, Longest ODAC Contest of 2013 Mark Lynchburg DH
ASHLAND, VA – The Lynchburg College baseball team coasted in game one before being challenged every inch of the way in game two of Saturday's Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) doubleheader with Randolph-Macon College. LC took game one, 8-0, before game two was halted due to darkness tied 10-10 heading to the 17th inning.
The second game was the longest of the 2013 season in ODAC baseball, three innings longer than the previous mark, which also included Randolph-Macon.
Lynchburg got off to a quick start in game one as Martin Henderlite (7-1) continued his dominance on the mound, working seven shutout innings, scattering three hits and five walks while striking out six. Henderlite continues to lead the conference in wins and ERA.
The Hornets started the offensive onslaught early as Jay Kenyon doubled and Andrew Gauvain walked with one out in the second inning. One out later, Lincoln Evans collected a two-bagger down the right-field line to plate Kenyon and Gauvain. Michael Kenah singled to center in the subsequent at bat to score Evans for a 3-0 lead.
Lynchburg added to the lead with an RBI each from Dustin Arrowood and Gauvain in the fifth and a two-RBI double by Dan Savage in the seventh for a 7-0 lead.
Savage went 4-for-5 in game one with two RBI and a run scored. Kenyon added three hits and two runs scored for LC.
The second game was much tougher for the Hornets. LC managed three runs in the second inning, similar to game one, on a bases-clearing double from Jake Tanner but R-MC would not let LC run away again, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Lynchburg added one run in the sixth and seventh innings on fielding miscues by the Yellow Jackets for a 5-2 lead. Kenyon added another run on an RBI sacrifice fly in the eighth for a four-run advantage.
Tim Benjamin and Michael Trentham provided RBI knocks for Randolph-Macon in the eighth to bring the Yellow Jackets within striking range for the bottom of the ninth. R-MC took advantage of a Lynchburg error in their last at bat to plate two unearned runs to send the game to extra innings tied at six.
Neither team gave an inch in bonus baseball as Lynchburg plated the first two runs in the 12th on an RBI single from Arrowood and sacrifice fly by Kenyon. The Yellow Jackets answered on a two-run double off the bat of Travis Lodge to tie the game back at eight and keep the game going.
Tanner led off the 15th inning with a double before making an out on a fielder's choice by Evans. The sophomore, Evans, made it to third on a throwing error, scoring on a sacrifice fly by Kenah. R-MC tied the game at 9-9 in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single to center from Jake Fletcher.
Lynchburg took its third lead in extra innings on an RBI single off Kenyon's bat in the top of the 16th. The Yellow Jackets (12-12-1/6-7-1 ODAC) answered once again when Benjamin reached on an error. R-MC pinch-ran with James Overbeek and a sacrifice bunt followed by a single from Nate Meiners tied the game back up at 10 where it was halted due to darkness following the inning.
Lynchburg (17-13-1/7-6-1 ODAC) will host Roanoke College (12-17/5-9 ODAC) on Wednesday at 3 p.m. in the team's first match-up of the season.