For immediate release – 3/31/2014 - #289
Winning Streak Ends as Hornets Split DH with Eastern Mennonite
HARRISONBURG, VA – The 30th-ranked Lynchburg College baseball team saw its winning streak end at five games as the Hornets dropped the first game of a doubleheader, 6-5, to Eastern Mennonite University. LC then coasted to an 8-1 victory in game two against the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) foe.
Errors proved costly for the Hornets in game one as Lynchburg matched a season-high with five miscues in the loss.
EMU went up 1-0 in the first inning without the benefit of a hit as Martin Henderlite walked the first two Royals before a fielding error allowed Adam Posey to score. A line-out double play helped the Hornets escape the early jam.
The Hornets took the lead in the fourth when Dustin Arrowood led off with a single and moved to second on a groundout. Joe Tomasulo singled up the middle to drive in Arrowood and an error in the outfield sent Tomasulo home in the next at bat.
Lynchburg scored in all but two innings from the fourth on, but could not put Eastern Mennonite away as the Royals scored one in the fifth, two in the eighth and one in the ninth.
Lincoln Evans collected an RBI single in the eighth to give the Hornets a two-run lead, 5-3, but Lynchburg walked one and gave up three hits to tie it up in the bottom half as Kyle Armstrong's two-RBI single to right proved to be the difference.
Colton Steber (0-1) struck out the first Royal in the bottom of the ninth and forced the next two hitters to put the ball in play. Both reach by way of the error though and, following an intentional walk, Posey drove in the winning run.
Posey and Aaron Hooven (3-0) combined to surrender three earned runs while striking out 10 and walking just one.
Evans and Joe Tomasulo had three hits each for the Hornets in game one.
Lynchburg fell behind early in game two as well as Armstrong's RBI single plated Posey for a 1-0 EMU lead and, once again, LC took charge in the fourth inning.
Joe Rogers and Rob Tomasulo led off the inning with singles before Arrowood reached on a fielder's choice. A throwing error allowed Rogers and Tomasulo to score. Wil Parsons singled up the middle to plate Arrowood for a 3-1 lead.
Parsons singled home another run in the fifth to grant Lynchburg a 4-1 advantage before the Hornets plated four more in the sixth to assume the 8-1 lead.
Evans contributed an RBI double and Rogers added a run-scoring single in the sixth inning while a wild pitch and fielding error scored two more Hornets.
Brandon Miller (6-3) picked up his team-leading sixth win while throwing his second complete game of the year. The junior gave up one earned run on five hits while striking out seven without issuing a walk.
Justin Rodriguez had two hits in game two for Eastern Mennonite (14-13/2-9) after going 2-for-4 in game one.
#30 Lynchburg (16-5/5-4) hosts Hampden-Sydney College (21-7/5-4) Tuesday at 3 p.m. in an ODAC matchup. The Hornets defeated the Tigers 10-9 in 10 innings last Wednesday.