The EMU Diamond Royals lost both games of a conference doubleheader on the road at University of Lynchburg today by three runs in each game. The Royals (7-11-1/1-5 ODAC) are back at home on Wednesday, March 20 when they take on Washington and Lee at 3:00pm.
Lynchburg 10, EMU 7
The Hornets (7-10/2-2 ODAC) were able to get their leadoff batters on base in the second and third innings which led to an early three run lead.
EMU got the offense rolling in the fourth inning when Jaylon Lee (Newport News, Va./Denbigh) started the inning off earning a walk. Stealing second base and moving up to third, Lee scored on a fielder's choice play hit by Robert Guenther (Falls Church, Va./George C. Marshall) who still made it safely on base.
Daniel Scott (Moneta, Va./Staunton River) got hit by a pitch with two outs then Matt Curry (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) hit a two-run double to tie the game. Jordan Jones (Saxe, Va./Randolph Henry) followed with an RBI double of his own that scored Curry as the Royals took the lead.
Brett Lindsay (Gloucester, Va./Gloucester) led off the fifth inning with a single and worked his way around to score on an RBI single to right field by Guenther. Lynchburg earned one run back in the fifth when a leadoff single came around to score.
Scott singled to begin the sixth inning then made his way to third base after stealing second base and getting to third on a fielding error on the throw. Jordan Brake (Roanoke, Va./Lord Botetourt) singled to score Scott then Zach Roberts (Stuarts Draft, Va./Riverheads) hit an RBI single of his own as EMU took a 7-4 lead into the seventh inning.
Four hits and two errors led to five runs for Lynchburg in the bottom of the seventh then a leadoff triple in the eighth gave the Hornets enough of a lead to hold down the Royals in the final innings.
Guenther and Curry both finished with 2 hits and 2 RBIs with Curry hitting a double and stealing a base. Brake finished with two hits and Roberts was 1-3 with an RBI and two walks.
Lynchburg 3, EMU 0
Bailey Hall (Daleville, Va./James River) got the start for the Royals in game two and threw 6.2 innings strong giving up three runs while striking out four batters.
The Royals were unable to continue the offensive effort in game two as the only hit they had came in the first inning when leadoff hitter Jones hit a single to right field. The next batter Roberts walked, but only two other EMU batters reached base the rest of the game.
A one out single in the third inning then back-to-back doubles to lead off the seventh led to three runs for the Hornets who were able to hang on to the shutout.
Ethan Mathews (Harrisonburg, Va./Broadway) threw a scoreless eighth inning only allowing one hit while picking up a strikeout.
Hunter Campbell threw a complete game shutout for Lynchburg allowing just the one hit with two walks and two strikeouts.