WINCHESTER, Va. – The No. 34 Shenandoah University baseball team opened up its 2020 season Sunday by sweeping a non-league doubleheader from No. 27 Misericordia.
Shenandoah (2-0) rallied in both games, winning the lid-lifter, 6-5, and game two, 4-3.
GAME ONE RECAP
Down to its final out in the opener, senior Wyatt Potter laced a single into short left field to drive in the tying and winning runs for the Hornets.
Misericordia (0-2) was one out away from earning its fifth straight victory over Shenandoah when Potter made the Cougars pay for loading the bases with one out and then hitting senior Keegan Woolford with a pitch.
Woolford, who had his 25th career home run in the first, was hit on a 2-0 pitch to bring home Anthony Ward with the Hornets fourth run of the contest.
Misericordia closer Sean Boylan missed on his first offering to Potter before Potter swung through the second pitch of the at-bat.
The Shenandoah rally made a winner of sophomore Matt Barnes (1-0). Barnes, the fourth SU pitcher of the contest, gave up a one hit (an infield single) in throwing the top of the seventh.
The Cougars had taken the 5-3 lead into the seventh on single runs in the second, fourth and sixth and two in the third.
SU had one run in the first (Woolford's home run) and two in the second to lead 3-1 after two.
Ward, who finished 2-for-3 and reached on a single through the right side in the seventh, had a two-run double to right center in the second.
Boylan, who started the game at short, took the loss after allowing three runs on four hits in 2/3 of an inning.
GAME TWO RECAP
Another rally, this one in the bottom of the sixth, erased a one-run deficit and gave the Hornets the sweep.
Henry Delavergne drove home Gavin Horning from second base on a sinking liner to right to put SU up 4-3.
Seth Comer came on in the seventh for Tad Dean (1-0) and closed the door with a groundout, a strike out looking and a soft fly behind second base into Delavergne's glove.
Dean (1-0) allowed two hits in two innings to earn the win in relief.
Woolford, who had a two-run home run in the bottom of the first to give the hosts a 2-0 lead, led off the SU sixth with a walk and was sacrificed to second.
Horning followed with a double down the left field line to plate Woolford and put himself in scoring position.
Delavergne then lofted a sinking liner to right that right fielder Sean Lyons was unable to catch on a dive and Horning trotted home with the go-ahead run.
Misericordia scored all three of its runs in the fifth.
Woolford, now with 26 career home runs, is one home run from fourth place all-time and four from tying Scott Van Dusseldorp '10 and Cory Nelson '12 for the career record.