ASHLAND, Va. – Junior Travis Lodge (Chesterfield, Va./Matoaca) belted a one-out homer to left center in the bottom of the eighth to snap a 2-2 tie as No. 15 Randolph-Macon edged 16th-ranked Frostburg State 5-2 Tuesday afternoon at Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park.
It was the first long ball of the season for Lodge. Junior Michael Kroll (Virginia Beach, Va./Cape Henry) delivered a two-run double with two away later in the eighth to plate junior Michael Trentham (Midlothian, Va./James River) and junior Bryan Miltenberger (Midlothian, Va./Cosby) with insurance runs for the Yellow Jackets (12-1).
After pitching a scoreless top of the eighth, senior JT Williamson (Springfield, Va./West Springfield) worked out of trouble in the ninth. The Bobcats (12-1) used a leadoff single, a two-out base hit and a walk to load the bases. Williamson (2-0) got a flyout to center to end the contest.
Kroll finished with two hits, two RBI and a run, while Trentham went 3 for 4 with a run for R-MC.
The Yellow Jackets started the scoring in the bottom of the third. Kroll had a leadoff single and advanced to second when junior Christian Sanderson (Lynchburg, Va./Jefferson Forest) reached on an error. Sophomore Jordan Schmeer (Richmond, Va./Benedictine) laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move both runners up 90 feet. Senior Nate Meiners (Silver Spring, Md./St. John's Prep) grounded out to short, plating Kroll to make it 1-0.
R-MC added to its lead in the fourth. Lodge was hit by a pitch to start the inning, moved to second when sophomore Stuart Brown (Midlothian, Va./Trinity) walked and advanced to third on a bunt single by Trentham. Freshman Cole Migliorini (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) delivered a sacrifice fly to left to up the lead to 2-0.
FSU plated a pair in the top of the seventh to knot the score at 2-2. Lane Farmer finished with two hits and a run for the Bobcats.
Sophomore starter Nic Phelps (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) tossed five shutout innings with two hits and two walks. He worked out of a bases-loaded, no outs jam in the second with a shallow flyout to right and a double play.
Randolph-Macon returns to action on Saturday, March 21 with a noon ODAC doubleheader at Eastern Mennonite.