For immediate release – 3/22/2014 - #268
Hornets Score 27 Runs in 12 Innings to Sweep Division II Bluefield State
LYNCHBURG, VA – The Lynchburg College baseball team slugged 27 runs against Division II Bluefield State College Saturday afternoon to win game one 11-5 before taking game two 16-5.
Both games of the doubleheader were previously scheduled to be seven innings. The Hornets did not have to bat in the bottom of the seventh of either game.
Lynchburg College fell behind 3-0 early in the first game as Kyle Blocker singled home a run in the first and Alex Dunn did the same in the third. A double play scored a third run heading into the bottom of the third frame.
The Hornets would score seven during their turn at bat as Lincoln Evans led off with a double. One out later, a pair of walks to Rob Tomasulo and Dustin Arrowood loaded the bags for designated hitter Jay Kenyon. The junior drove the ball deep over the rightfielder's head, clearing the bases as he coasted into second to tie the game at three.
A dropped fly ball in left field allowed Joe Tomasulo to reach while Kenyon came home for the go-ahead run. Jake Tanner's double to left-center plated Tomasulo. Four wild pitches and two walks later, the Hornets had a sixth run in and Rob Tomasulo's hit by pitch made it 7-3.
The defense for the Blue Devils allowed the Hornets to stake an even bigger lead late in the game as only eight of LC's 11 runs were earned. Multiple wild pitches in the latter innings allowed the Hornets to plate four runs on four hits to reach the final tally.
Martin Henderlite (3-0) pitched his first complete game of the season, giving up five runs (four earned) on seven hits while walking three and striking out five.
Dale Davis and Blocker had two hits each for the Blue Devils in game one.
Lynchburg jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning of game two as Evans, Joe Rogers and Rob Tomasulo all singled. Evans scored on the Tomasulo single as it was bobbled in the outfield. A pair of RBI groundouts by Arrowood and Ryan Katona and a double by Wil Parsons summarized the four runs.
The Hornets added three runs in the second as a fielding error allowed Jake Tanner to score before Kenyon could line a pitch up the middle for two more RBI.
Bluefield State manufactured a run in the third and was threatening in the fifth and sixth innings, but a pair of smooth defensive play bailed out the Hornets.
Following an infield single by Cody Underwood and a Tyler Frazier fly out, Davis hit a sharp ball to right to score Underwood. Ricky Diaz laced a ball up the middle, looking to score the speedster Davis, but Katona laid out for the ball, snared it out of the air, and doubled Davis off first.
A sharp grounder back to pitcher Brandon Miller off the bat of Troy Bolden resulted in another double play, this time of the 1-6-3 variety, to end another jam.
Lynchburg pulled away in the bottom of the fifth as the Hornets collected 10 hits, seven straight, while sending 13 hitters to the plate.
Kenyon and Rogers each had three hits in game two while the former drove in three runs, giving him six RBI on the day.
Miller (4-3) worked around 10 hits in a seven-inning complete game. He surrendered five runs (one earned) with six strikeouts and did not issue a walk.
Alex Dunn, Davis and Diaz each had a pair of hits in game two for Bluefield State (8-13).
Lynchburg (14-4) hosts Methodist University (13-6) Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m. in the non-conference finale between the two teams.