WINCHESTER, Va. – The Randolph-Macon baseball team picked up their sixth conference victory as they split a two game ODAC series with Shenandoah this afternoon.
The Yellow Jackets (11-8, 6-2) finished the day with a 5-3 win coming off a 14-13 loss in game one. The Jackets ignited a two run rally in the third inning of game two to take the early 2-0 edge. Mitchell Keeler (Mechanicsville, VA /Atlee) (2-for-5) and Tim Benjamin (Glenelg, MD / Glenelg) (1-for-3) each recorded an RBI after Travis Lodge (Chesterfield, VA / Matoaca) (1-for-4) led off the inning with a hit-by-pitch. Lodge would score on Keeler's single to left and would score on Benjamin's hit to center. R-MC would then tack on an additional run in the fourth to go up 3-0.
Up 4-2 in the sixth, the Jackets would tally two runs on one hit for the 5-2 edge. The Hornets would not be able to respond as starting pitcher Matt Fischgrund (Gloucester, VA / Gloucester) (2-1) would pick up the win with 10 strikeouts, three runs, and one walk through six while Glen McLaughlin (Richmond, VA / Douglas Freeman) notched his second save with three strikeouts in two innings.
In game one the Jackets fell behind in the first as SU posted six runs on seven hits. R-MC responded in the third with three hits from Blake Saathoff (Midlothian, VA / Cosby) (3-for-4), Lodge (1-for-4), and Keeler (2-for-5). Lodge drove in Saathoff on a triple and stole home to cut SU's lead to four runs.
The Jackets continued that rally in the fourth recording two additional runs as Bryan Miltenberger (Midlothian, VA / Cosby) (1-for-2) belted a solo homerun (1) to left field. Michael Kroll (VA Beach, VA / Cape Henry Collegiate) (1-for-2) followed Miltenberger's lead by doubling down the left field line, only to score on a Hornets' error; bringing R-MC within two.
SU responded with seven runs in the next two innings, but not before R-MC would capitalize on a handful of walks and three hits for a seven run surge to bring the game to 13-11. R-MC would post two more runs in the eighth, only to drop 14-13.
The Randolph-Macon baseball team returns to Ashland Wednesday, March 26 to host Virginia Wesleyan for a 3:30 pm matchup.