For immediate release-2/22/2014-#211
Hornet Bats Post 25 Runs in Split with Oneonta State
LYNCHBURG, VA-The Lynchburg College baseball team showed it likes to hit at the Liberty Baseball Stadium, post 25 runs in two games against Oneonta State College, dropping game one 5-4 before winning game two, 21-12.
Lynchburg's 4-0 record coming into Saturday's doubleheader was the best start for the Hornets since starting the 1995 campaign 4-0.
Oneonta starting pitcher Steve Ascher held the Hornets at bay in the first game of 2014 for the Red Dragons. The junior struck out 11 batters, including a stretch from the third to the sixth inning where eight straight outs came by way of strike three.
Lynchburg jumped out to an early 3-1 lead in the second inning when Wil Parsons led off with a triple over the head of the right fielder before scoring on a Lincoln Evans' double. The Hornets manufactured the other two runs as a walk and sacrifice bunt put runners in scoring position. A Drew Taylor sacrifice fly and passed ball finished the Hornet scoring.
The top of the Oneonta order was able to get to the pitching duo of Martin Henderlite and Brandon Miller, plating runs in the third, fifth, and sixth to take the lead.
Lynchburg cut into the 5-3 deficit in the sixth when Evans skied a ball above the head of the second baseman who lost it in the sun, allowing KC Caldwell to score. A pair of walks loaded the bases, but the Red Dragon closer, Kyle Jordan, induced a groundout to end the threat.
The Hornets had one final chance in the seventh when Joe Tomasulo beat out an infield single and proceeded to steal second and third. Caldwell fought off eight foul balls with a 3-2 count before putting one on the ground to third base. The throw beat Caldwell by a split second to end the game.
Evans went 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored in game one for the Hornets.
Lynchburg fell behind 4-0 in the first inning of game two before Michael Day entered to limit the damage by collecting three straight outs.
The Hornets answered in the bottom of the first as Evans was hit by a pitch and Joe Rogers walked. Following a fly out, LC executed a double-steal where a throwing error by the catcher scored Evans. Dustin Arrowood then sent Alex Matrianni's pitch over the wall in deep right-center field to cut the gap to 4-3.
Rogers continued to hit the Red Dragons hard, tripling to right-center field in the second and third innings and doubling in the fourth to plate seven RBI.
The output by Rogers was part of 16 unanswered runs scored by the Hornets after trailing 6-3 heading into the bottom of the second.
Oneonta showed the ability to consistently put the ball in play so leading 9-6, Lynchburg needed a big inning to put the game away.
LC already batted around in the third to plate five runs to take the 9-6 lead, but in the fourth inning 14 Hornets came to the plate. The Hornets scored 10 runs in the inning as 10 players in a row reached base safely to pull away 19-6.
The Hornets stayed aggressive throughout game two, stealing a season-high nine bases.
Day went four and a third innings to pick up his first collegiate win in his first appearance for the Hornets. Rogers finished game two 4-for-4 with three triples, a run scored, a stolen base and a career-high eight RBI.
Jon Halligan hit an opposite-field grand slam for the Red Dragons (1-1) in the game two loss.
Lynchburg (5-1) will host York (Pa.) College (0-0) Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Liberty Baseball Stadium.