ASHLAND, Va. – Freshman Jeffrey Butler (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) walked and scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth as the sixth-ranked Randolph-Macon baseball team edged Roanoke 4-3 Sunday afternoon on Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park.
The Yellow Jackets (26-5-1, 12-5 ODAC) won in their final at-bat for the ninth time this season. R-MC tied the program record for victories in a season with 26, set in 2015. The Yellow Jackets have won six straight and moved into a first-place tie in the ODAC with seventh-ranked Shenandoah and Washington & Lee.
With the score knotted at 3-3 in the eighth, Butler drew a one-out walk. He moved to second when senior Christian Sanderson (Lynchburg, Va./Jefferson Forest) reached on an error. Butler tagged and advanced to third when senior Mitchell Keeler (Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) fouled out to first. Butler scored on a wild pitch to give R-MC a 4-3 advantage.
Sophomore closer Christian Cok (Chester, S.C./Lewisville) took the mound in the top of the ninth and surrendered a leadoff walk to Sean Guida. He was sacrifice to second and moved to third on a deep flyout to right, but was stranded there as a popout to second ended the game. Cok recorded his fifth save, giving freshman Jake Ottinger (Glen Allen, Va./Benedictine) his first collegiate win after pitching a scoreless eighth.
After the Maroons (20-15, 8-9 ODAC) tallied a run in the second, R-MC answered in the fourth. Sophomore Cole Migliorini (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) drew a one-out walk, moved to second on a base hit by junior Herminio Azor (Fairfax, Va./Robinson) and scored on a single to left by senior Bryan Miltenberger (Midlothian, Va./Cosby) to tie the score at 1-1.
The Yellow Jackets took their first lead in the fifth as senior Travis Lodge (Chesterfield, Va./Matoaca) had a one-out double down the left field line and scored on a single off the second base bag by senior Michael Trentham (Midlothian, Va./James River) to give R-MC a 2-1 edge.
R-MC added to its lead in the sixth. Azor was hit by a pitch to start the inning and moved to second on a groundout. With two away, Sanderson singled to right center and drove in Azor as the Yellow Jackets took a 3-1 lead. Roanoke plated two in the seventh to level the score at 3-3.
Lodge reached base five times, going 3 for 3 with a pair of walks.
Randolph-Macon returns to ODAC action on Tuesday, April 19, with a 3:30 p.m. home contest against Hampden-Sydney on Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park.