For immediate release—4/10/2014 - #312
#26 Hornets Cannot Hold On as Quakers Win in Tenth
GREENSBORO, NC—The No. 26 Lynchburg College baseball team held a four-run lead going into the seventh inning, but Guilford responded against the Hornet bullpen as LC dropped an 8-7 decision in 10 innings of Old Dominion Athletic Conference action Thursday.
Lynchburg took the early lead with three runs in the first inning against Guilford starter Borja Jones-Berasaluce. Lincoln Evans led off the game with his first career homer, a long drive deep over the left-field fence.
Jones-Berasaluce took advantage of an outfield assist to pick up the first out after Rob Tomasulo singled to left. Dustin Arrowood reached first when his strikeout could not be corralled by the catcher. Wil Parsons doubled to right-center to put both runners in scoring position before Jay Kenyon's single up the middle made it 3-0.
Guilford hit the ball well early in an attempt to spark an early comeback. Zac Patrick sat down Herc Ingels before John Macon Smith, Nathan Fulbright and Corey Wallace all singled to load the bases. A fielder's choice and strikeout got Patrick out of the inning with a 3-1 lead.
Both pitchers settled into the game as Jones-Berasaluce and Patrick allowed three hits each over the next five innings.
Guilford turned to the bullpen in the seventh and Lynchburg manufactured a fourth run as Evans reached on an error, was sacrificed to second and scored on Rob Tomasulo's double.
The Hornets brought in a new pitcher as well, setting the stage for the Quaker rally. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases for Corey Wallace. Lynchburg made another pitching change, but Wallace was not fazed, tripling to right-center to tie the game at four. Michael Whited's double plated Wallace for Guilford's first lead of the game. The Quakers plated one more runner to cap off a five-run seventh.
Defensive miscues in the final innings hurt both teams as Ingels singled for Guilford with one out in the eighth. A failed pickoff attempt sent the speedy outfielder to third base where he eventually scored for a 7-4 lead.
Errors hurt Guilford in the ninth while the Hornets managed to tie the contest. Evans walked as Joe Rogers and Arrowood were both hit by pitches to load the bases without the courtesy of a hit while just one out showed on the scoreboard.
A dropped foul ball during Parsons' at bat resulted in a second chance, and the third hit batter of the inning to cut the gap to 7-5. A pair of errors by the shortstop on the next two plays allowed the Hornets to score Rogers and Arrowood to tie the game.
The bottom of the ninth started with a pair of quick outs before Kyle Humphrey walked. Jacob Roberts grounded back to the pitcher but a fielding error continued the inning for Ingels whose infield single scored Humphreys for the winning run.
Tomasulo went 3-for-5 for the Hornets while Evans finished 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Patrick allowed one earned run on six hits in six innings of work while striking out five against three walks.
Ingels and Whited picked up three hits each for Guilford (15-18/7-9) while the bullpen allowed four runs, all unearned, to complete the comeback.
#26 Lynchburg (20-6/8-5) hosts #21 Shenandoah University (23-6/12-2) Saturday at noon in a crucial doubleheader for both teams.