For immediate release -4/15/2015 - #413
Abell Wins #400 as Hornets Improve Playoff Positioning
LYNCHBURG, VA – The Lynchburg College baseball team faced a small hiccup in the early innings, but that would be the only one as the Hornets defeated Hampden-Sydney College 3-2 in a crucial battle in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) tournament picture.
The win gives the Hornets the tiebreaker with the Tigers while evening LC's conference record at 8-8. Even more noteworthy, the victory was head coach Percy Abell's 400th victory. All 400 wins came at Lynchburg as Coach Abell is in his 18th season with the Hornets.
The Tigers scored two early runs on the Hornets, capitalizing on five straight two-out hits in the second inning for the 2-0 lead. Drew Taylor ended the offensive spurt when he threw out Cody Mann at home who was trying to score on a single by Christian Hamlett.
Lynchburg tied the contest in the bottom of the inning when Jonathan Munn walked in front of a Luke Rodgers single. A sacrifice bunt moved the pair up where Joe Tomasulo's single down the left field line plated the pair to knot the score.
The Tigers pieced together three singles in the third, loading the bases against Hornet starterCharlie Thieringer, but the LC hurler induced a fly-out to right field to end the threat and swing momentum to the Hornets.
The senior pitcher rolled through Hampden-Sydney the rest of the way, allowing just two hits in his next four innings of work. Thieringer (2-0) finished the day allowing the two earned runs on 10 hits without issuing a walk and striking out seven in seven innings. Brandon Miller picked up his first save of the year with two innings of scoreless relief.
Lynchburg scored the game-winning run in the third when Wil Parsons and Joe Rogers doubled in back-to-back at bats to make the score 3-2.
Tomasulo went 3-for-3 with two RBI for Lynchburg while Rodgers, Rogers, and Drew Taylor had two hits each.
Spencer Garrett and Reggie Johnson combined for five scoreless innings of relief for Hampden-Sydney (10-20-1/7-11 ODAC) to keep the contest close.
Lynchburg (13-18/8-8) host Roanoke College (13-12/8-8) Thursday at 3 p.m. in a game that could clear up the playoff picture for both squads.
UPDATED PLAYOFF PICTURE:
Shenandoah, Virginia Wesleyan, Bridgewater (Va.), Randolph-Macon have all clinched spots. Seeding is still to be determined.
1. Shenandoah (15-3) ..... 2 games left (at Lynchburg (DH))
2. Virginia Wesleyan (13-4) ..... 3 games left (Randolph-Macon, Eastern Mennonite (DH))
3. Bridgewater (Va.) (11-7) ..... 2 games left (at Roanoke (DH))
4. Randolph-Macon (10-7) ..... 3 games left (at Virginia Wesleyan, Emory & Henry (DH))
5. Roanoke (8-8) ..... 5 games left (Guilford, at Lynchburg, Bridgewater (DH))
6. Eastern Mennonite (9-9) ..... 2 games left (at Virginia Wesleyan (DH))
7. Lynchburg (8-8) ..... 4 games left (Roanoke, at Shenandoah (DH), Washington and Lee)
8. Hampden-Sydney (7-11) ..... 2 games left (at Washington and Lee (DH))