HARRISONBURG, Va. - Senior second baseman Jeff Butler (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) had six hits on the day, three in each game, as the eighth-ranked Randolph-Macon baseball team split an ODAC doubleheader at Eastern Mennonite on Saturday afternoon.

The Basics

Scores: Game 1: Randolph-Macon 9, Eastern Mennonite 2

Game 2: Eastern Mennonite 5, Randolph-Macon 4 (12 innings)

Location/Venue: Harrisonburg, Va./EMU Baseball Field

Records: R-MC 14-6, 10-3 ODAC; EMU 12-15-1, 6-8 ODAC

How It Happened

Game 1

• Junior outfielder Ryan Duphorn (Erial, N.J./Paul VI) went 2 for 5 with two runs and three RBI to lead the Yellow Jackets in Game 1.
• Senior right-hander Nick Roth (Henrico, Va./Benedictine) allowed one earned run in seven innings in raising his record to 5-0. He scattered five hits, walked one and fanned four.
• Sophomore left-hander Zack Radcliffe (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) tossed two scoreless innings with no hits, no walks and two punchouts.
• The Yellow Jackets started the scoring in the top of the first. Duphorn singled, moved to second on a bunt single by Butler and advanced to third on a bunt single by junior third baseman Mike Nickles (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge). Duphorn scored on a sacrifice fly by junior outfielder Shawn Nickles (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) to give R-MC a 1-0 lead.
• After the Royals tied it in the bottom of the first, the Yellow Jackets took the lead for good in the fourth. Sophomore DH Kevin Mooney (Williamsburg, Va./Jamestown) had a leadoff single, moved to second when senior outfielder Matthew Blaise (Clifton, Va./Centreville) was hit by a pitch, and advanced to third on a base hit by junior shortstop Daniel Wilkerson (Oxford, N.C./Kerr-Vance Academy). Mooney scored when Duphorn reached on a fielder's choice. Blaise would come home on a passed ball, and Duphorn scored on a base hit by Butler as R-MC took a 4-1 advantage.
• In the fifth, Mooney had an RBI double, junior first baseman Cole Grinde (Woodford, Va./Caroline) had an RBI single and Duphorn added a two-run base hit as the lead grew to 8-1.
• Mike Nickles singled in the sixth and scored on a triple by his brother Shawn as the Yellow Jackets went up 9-1. EMU tallied another run in the seventh to make the final 9-2.

By The Numbers - Game 1

• Wilkerson went 3 for 3 with a walk and a run.
• Butler also had three hits, while Mooney, Shawn Nickles and Mike Nickles each had two hits. Shawn Nickles drove in two, while Mooney scored twice.

Game 2

• EMU took the early lead in Game 2 with a run in the bottom of the second. R-MC would respond in the third. Blaise had a one-out single and scored on a fielder's choice by Mike Nickles to level the score at 1-1.
• The Yellow Jackets would take the lead in the fifth. Duphorn had a leadoff single and moved to third when Butler doubled to left. A sacrifice fly by Shawn Nickles plated Duphorn and a fielder's choice by junior DH Reece Yeargain (Chester, Va./Benedictine) drove in Butler as R-MC took a 3-1 advantage.
• R-MC added a run in the eighth as junior catcher Jacob Selden (Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass) had a one-out single and scored on a double by Grinde to give the visitors a 4-1 lead.
• The Royals tied it with three in the eighth and plated the game-winner in the 12th.
• Duphorn and Grinde both had two hits in the nightcap.

By The Numbers

• Butler is the R-MC career leader with 51 career steals. He has moved into second in three other categories. Butler is second with 212 career hits, trailing Jordan Walton (215 from 2009-12). He is second in runs with 144, training Jeb Weymouth (145 from 2010-13). Butler is second in at bats with 603, trailing Weymouth by one.

Up Next

• Randolph-Macon returns home to Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park on Tuesday, April 9 for a 3:30 p.m. ODAC contest against Hampden-Sydney.