For immediate release – 2/13/2015 - #255
Hornets Drop Pitchers' Duel to Start Emory Tournament
ATLANTA, GA – The Lynchburg College baseball team did not collect its first, and only, hit Friday afternoon until the seventh inning as the Hornets lost 3-1 to Rhodes College in the opening game of the Emory Tournament.
Lynchburg starter Martin Henderlite worked around a leadoff walk in the first to escape unscathed, but would not have the same success in the second frame as Will Gietema led off with a single to center. The next two Lynx batter got out before a walk to Marcus Moreland moved Gietema into scoring position. Josh Keen, after taking a very close two-strike pitch near the corner, singled home Gietema before Bill Munson laced one back up the middle to allow Moreland to trot home for a 2-0 advantage.
Rhodes starter Daniel Morris (1-0) had a no-hitter through six innings before being lifted after throwing 96 pitches.
The Hornets took advantage of Morris' inability to find the strike zone consistently in the bottom of the sixth when Jonathan Munn and Wil Parsons walked to lead off the inning. Pat Harris sacrificed both runners up where Jay Kenyon could plate Munn on a sacrifice fly, cutting the gap to 2-1.
Despite the sixth-inning run, the Hornets stranded seven on base as Morris walked five Lynchburg batters.
Henderlite (0-1) worked out of some high pressures situations himself, surrendering just two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out two.
Charlie Thieringer, seeing his first work of 2015, held Rhodes scoreless the sixth and seventh innings, allowing his batters the chance to rally late.
The Lynx turned to opening day starter Blake Gauben in the seventh and the lefty set down the first two Hornets before Joe Rogers looped a ball to shallow right for LC's only base knock.
The eighth inning became interesting for Gauben as an error put Munn on base to lead the frame. Drew Taylor entered to run and was advanced to second on a bunt before racing to third on a deep fly ball. A strikeout ended the Lynchburg threat with the tying run 90 feet from scoring.
David Goulding pitched the final two innings for the Hornets, striking out one while allowing two hits and an unearned run in the ninth.
Glauben picked up his first save for Rhodes (3-1) while striking out four in three scoreless frames. Munson went 2-for-4 with an RBI, run scored and three stolen bases to bring his season total to five while Keen also added two hits.
Lynchburg (0-4) will face No. 3 Emory University (0-0) Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in day two of the Emory Tournament.