BRIDGEWATER, Va. – Mary Washington swept a Monday afternoon non-conference baseball doubleheader from Bridgewater College, winning the opener 3-0 and taking the second game 15-4.
The opener turned into a classic pitcher's duel between Bridgewater starter Johnny LaVoie and Mary Washington starter Joe Thompson. The two traded zeroes on the scoreboard for seven innings before the visitors broke through against the Eagles bullpen in the top of the eighth.
LaVoie allowed just four hit in his seven innings and turned the ball over to fellow freshman Kyle Jones in the eighth.
Jones hit Kyle Bynum, the first batter he faced, and James Keller followed with a single through the left side of the infield. Justin Kime moved the runners up with a sacrifice bunt and Kime was safe at first on the play when Jones' throw pulled second baseman Josh Lasam off the first-base bag. Bynum scored on a wild pitch and Keller crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Jono Haught, giving Mary Washington a 2-0.
Thompson yielded just three hits in his seven innings before turning the game over to Tyler Daig. With one out in the bottom of the eighth, walks to Derrik Walling and Austin Batten gave BC runners at first and second. Daig struck out Darren Yoder before Kenner Berry singled off the pitcher's glove to load the sacks with two outs. Brendan Howell hit a sinking liner to left where Mary Washington's Mitch Moynihan made a sliding catch for the third out of the inning.
Mary Washington (21-5) added an insurance run in the ninth. David Slupek doubled to lead off the inning and Thomas Weaver followed with a single. With runners at first and second, Brian Burns advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt. Slupek scored on a sacrifice fly by Bynum, making the score 3-0.
Brandon Poole led off the bottom of the ninth for the Eagles and reached on an error, but Daig retired the next three batters to preserve the 3-0 victory for Mary Washington.
Bridgewater (17-9-1) finished the opener with just four hits. Yoder had two of the hits while Austin Batten and Berry added one hit each.
In the second game, Mary Washington scored four runs in the second inning without a hit to take an early lead.
Bridgewater starter Ian Mayes issued four consecutive walks to start the inning, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead. Lasam then took the mound for the Eagles and retired Kime on an infield fly for the first out of the inning. Haught then hit a grounder to first and Brian Burns beat the throw to the plate as the visitors moved out to a 2-0 lead. With the bases still full, Moynihan walked to force in the third run of the inning. Keller then scored on a groundout by James Sink, making the score 4-0.
Bridgewater got a run back in the bottom of the second. Poole led off the inning with a single before Justin Petock was retired on a fly ball to center. Poole was then erased on Chris King's fielder's choice groundout to short for the second out of the inning. King was awarded second base on a balk and Cavin Clyde chased him home with a single off the glove of second baseman Keller, cutting Mary Washington's lead to 4-1.
Mary Washington put the game away with three runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to open up a 10-1 lead.
Bridgewater had nine hits in Game 2. Clyde was the only player with more than one hit as he finished 2-for-2 with one run batted in.