ASHLAND, Va. - Junior Nick Roth (Henrico, Va./Benedictine) pitched seven strong innings in the nightcap with no walks and eight strikeouts as the tenth-ranked Randolph-Macon baseball team split an ODAC doubleheader with Bridgewater Saturday afternoon on Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park.
The Yellow Jackets (13-3, 5-1 ODAC) lost 7-4 to the Eagles (12-8-1, 2-5 ODAC) in the opener before posting a 14-2 win in Game 2.
Roth (4-0) scattered six hits and allowed two runs. On the season, Roth has worked 32 innings with no walks and 26 strikeouts.
After three scoreless innings in the nightcap, R-MC erupted for seven in the fourth. After the first 10 Yellow Jackets were retired in order, junior Grant Huckestein (Manassas, Va./Woodbridge) drew a walk. With two away, senior Rick Spiers (South Chesterfield, Va./Matoaca) singled to third and senior Joe Tuzzolo (Newport News, Va./Menchville) walked to load the bases. Sophomore Reece Yeargain (Richmond, Va./Benedictine) reached on an error as Huckestein and Spiers both scored. A second error on the play plated Tuzzolo and moved Yeargain to third as R-MC took a 3-0 lead. Sophomore Mike Nickles (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) also reached on an error, bringing home Yeargain. A single by sophomore Zach Evans (Fort Mill, S.C./Seneca) moved Nickles to third, and both scored on a double by sophomore Ben Marotske (Dumfries, Va./CD Hylton) to make it 6-0. A single by Huckestein drove in Marotske to give R-MC a 7-0 lead.
After BC scored twice in the top of the fifth, the Yellow Jackets answered in the bottom of the frame. Spiers had a leadoff single and came home on a double by Tuzzolo. A one-out homer by Nickles, his third of the season, gave R-MC a 10-2 advantage.
The Yellow Jackets added a pair of the sixth as junior Jeff Butler (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) had leadoff single and scored on a base hit by senior Cole Migliorini (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge). Migliorini stole second, moved to third on an error and came home on a groundout by Spiers as the home team went up 10 at 12-2.
The Yellow Jackets finished the scoring in the seventh as Butler and Huckestein both delivered run-scoring singles to make the final 14-2.
Nickles, Huckestein and Marotske each drove in two. Butler went 3 for 5 with one run and one RBI.
In Game 1, R-MC started the scoring in the first. Sophomore Ryan Duphorn (Erial, N.J./Paul VI) drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a bunt single by Butler, advanced to third on a fielder's choice and came home on a wild pitch to give the Yellow Jackets a 1-0 advantage.
An inning later, the Yellow Jackets added to their lead. Nickles coaxed a leadoff walk and came around to score on a pair of errors as R-MC went up 2-0.
In the third, Spiers drew a one-out walk, moved to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a base hit by Tuzzolo and scored on a groundout by Nickles to give the home team a 3-0 lead.
After BC erupted for four in the fourth, R-MC tied it in the bottom of the frame. Duphorn started the inning with a base hit up the middle, stole second, moved to third on a flyout and scored on a base hit to left by Spiers to level the score at 4-4.
The Eagles would score one in the eighth and two in the ninth to post the 7-4 victory.
The Yellow Jackets stranded 13 in the opener.
Randolph-Macon continues ODAC play on Tuesday, March 27 with a 3:30 p.m. home contest against Hampden-Sydney on Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park.