WINCHESTER, Va. – The No. 16/35 Shenandoah University baseball team opened up its season Saturday by sweeping a non-league doubleheader from RV/No.36 Misericordia.
Shenandoah (2-0) was a 5-4 winner in the opener before finishing off the sweep with a 6-3 victory in the nightcap.
Sophomore Zach Teeple (1-0) was the game two winner on the mound. Teeple allowed three runs on four hits in 4.0 innings before turning over to senior Tyler Hott for the final six outs.
Hott allowed only a single in the sixth while striking out two to earn his first save.
The Hornets gave Teeple all of the offense he would need with a five-run second. Chase Smallwood, Tristian Baker, Abel Arocho and Jake Loew all drove in runs in the frame with Loew capping the five-run frame with a two-run single to right.
Dylan Stouffer gave the hosts the early lead with his solo home run in the bottom of the first off of Cougars starter Tim Burek (0-1).
In game one, Shenandoah jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks to a three-run home run from Dan Cameron, but needed a rally in the bottom of the seventh to secure the victory.
Freshman Michael Cruz, who was inserted as a pinch hitter in the sixth, had a groundball back up the middle that was misplayed by extra infielder Brian Kay for a game-ending error.
Kay, who entered the game for right fielder Steve Weisenee as Shenandoah put runners on second and third with no outs, gave the Cougars and extra infielder combined with a drawn-in outfield.
The strategy worked for two batters as Donnie Forgacs had an infield single that was knocked down by shortstop Kenny Jarema to load the bases and then Denzel Johnson had a fielder's choice that retired pinch runner Nick Goode at the plate.
Cruz then stepped up and hit the two-hopper back through the box, where Kay bobbled it as he attempted to get in position to make a throw back to the plate. Kay never made the throw and SU earned the walk-off win.
Forgacs had three hits in four at-bats with Neil Dutton and Loew each getting a pair of hits.
Junior Colin Morse left with a 3-0 lead after giving up just one hit and three walks while striking out eight in 5.0 innings of work.
Sophomore lefty Matt Burns (1-0) earned his first collegiate win by getting the final six outs. He allowed one unearned run and struck out three.