For immediate release—4/13/2014 - #322
Roanoke Extends #26 Hornet Losing Skid to Four Games with 9-7 Victory
SALEM, VA—The No. 26 Lynchburg College baseball team fell behind 3-1 in the first inning and despite a third inning charge, fell 9-7 to Roanoke College in Old Dominion Athletic Conference action Sunday afternoon.
The loss drops Lynchburg to 8-8 in ODAC play, just one game up on the seventh-place team, Hampden-Sydney College with only six teams making the ODAC tournament.
The Hornets got on the board first when Rob Tomasulo connected on his first career round-tripper, a two-out solo shot that sailed over the fence in right-center field.
Roanoke provided an onslaught of offense early as Devin Cassity led off the game with a double and moved to third on Will Black's infield single. Jacob Clifton sent a pitch back up the middle to tie the game and set up the Maroons for additional runs as no outs had been registered.
Brandon Miller forced Will Decker to fly out to right before striking out Cam Cassady, but Kevin Oakey came through in the clutch with a bases-clearing triple to put Roanoke in front 3-1 after one inning.
Pat Harris homered for the first time in 2014 in the second inning to cut the lead in half and Lynchburg added three in the third to take the lead.
With one out, John Ruhlman walked Joe and Rob Tomasulo and Dustin Arrowood to load the bases. Wil Parsons singled through the left side to score Joe Tomasulo before Harris stepped into the box and came through again, this time with a liner up the middle to score Rob Tomasulo and Arrowood for the 4-3 Hornet lead.
Ruhlman walked seven Hornets in 3 2/3 innings, but the Maroon defense was able to bail out the starter as the offense kept Roanoke in the game. The third inning lead against Ruhlman would be the only one the Hornets would have on the day.
Black led off the bottom of the fourth with a single for the Maroons and moved to second on an error in the outfield before another defensive error allowed Clifton to reach first. Decker then singled to left, moving Black to third before he raced home on another error.
An out later, Oakey doubled down the left-field line to score Clifton, giving Roanoke a 6-4 lead. A fielder's choice scored Cassady and a throwing error allowed Oakey to score the Maroons' eighth run.
All four runs scored by Roanoke in the fourth inning were unearned as Lynchburg committed four errors in the frame.
An error in the fifth off Joe Tomasulo's ground ball allowed Joe Rogers to score, cutting the lead to 8-5. Rogers singled in the left, allowing Kenyon to score as the ball was once again bobbled by a defender, but the Hornets would not make it all the way back as Austin Gregory sat down the next three Hornets he faced.
Harris, Kenyon and Lincoln Evans each had a pair of hits while Harris drove in three runs. Those three RBI give him five in the past two games.
Oakey went 3-for-5 for Roanoke (13-16/6-11) with three runs scored and three RBI.
#26 Lynchburg (20-9/8-8) hosts Guilford College (18-18/8-9) Wednesday at 3 p.m. in what has become an important ODAC game for both squads. The Hornets lost to Guilford, winners of seven-straight contests on Thursday.