BREVARD, N.C. -- Senior Chase Counts/Virginia Beach and junior Ryan Clawson/Moseley each hit home runs to lead Hampden-Sydney College to a 13-3 non-conference baseball road win at Brevard College on Monday afternoon in North Carolina. Counts had four RBIs and Clawson had three RBIs, while sophomore Mark Evans/Yorktown added two doubles and two RBIs as the visiting Tigers (11-3) earned their eighth-straight victory. Sophomore Kieran Conway/Chesapeake gained the mound win in relief against the host Tornados (2-15).
H-SC scored 13 runs on 17 hits … scoring two runs in the first inning, one run each in the second and fourth innings, two runs each in the fifth, sixth and ninth innings, along with the three runs in the eighth inning. The Tigers had leads of 2-0 through one, 3-2 through two, 4-2 through four, 6-3 through five, 8-3 through six and 11-3 through eight toward the final 10-run margin of victory.
In the first, Clawson (2-5, 3 RBIs) hit a two-out, two-run home run to left field that also scored Counts (2-5, 4 RBIs), who had reached base when hit by a pitch with two outs. It was Clawson's second homer in three games, and he now co-leads the Tigers with his two round-trippers.
In the second, Evans (3-3, 2 RBIs) provided a run-scoring single to plate sophomore Trey Karnes/Mechanicsville (1-1), who had opened the at-bat with a double.
In the fourth, senior Jonathan Triesler/Chesterfield (0-4, RBI) added an RBI ground ball that scored Karnes, who had been hit by a pitch.
In the fifth, Clawson contributed a two-out RBI single to plate senior Andrew Kasiski/Chesapeake (3-5, RBI), who had singled with one out and later advanced two bases courtesy of a wild pitch. Clawson would come around to score, as well, when Evans drew a bases-loaded walk.
In the sixth, Kasiski had an RBI ground ball that scored senior Josh Duimstra/Montpelier (1-4), who had singled and stole a base during the at-bat. Counts added an RBI double that plated senior captain Matt Spagnolo/Glen Allen (1-2), who had singled as a pinch-hitter.
In the eighth, Counts slammed a three-run home run to left field that also scored Duimstra and sophomore Ethan Badin/Richmond (0-0, RBI). Duimstra had singled, while Badin was pinch-running for Kasiski, who had doubled. It was the second homer of the season for Counts, as well, tying him with Clawson for the team lead.
In the ninth, freshman Ryan Boyce/Suffolk (1-2) tripled to left center field and later crossed the plate via a wild pitch. Badin added a sacrifice fly RBI that plated junior Matt Muehleck/Martinsville (0-0), who had walked as a pinch-hitter.
Junior Nick Grohowski/Chesterfield (2-4) also contributed two hits in the contest for the Tigers.
Freshman Justin Woodall/Mechanicsville started on the mound and pitched the first 1.2 innings, allowing four hits and two runs, both earned, with two strikeouts and one walk. Conway (1-0) tossed 3.1 innings of middle relief for his first win this spring, scattering three hits and one run, earned, with one strikeout and two walks. Freshman Owen Tappy/Charlotte, N.C. pitched 3.0 scoreless innings, yielding one hit with four strikeouts and one walk. Freshman Russell Bowles/Moseley tossed the final shutout inning, allowing one hit with no strikeouts and no walks.
H-SC has now won 11 of its last 12 games overall, and will remain on the road to play at Huntingdon College on Tuesday night, March 10, at 7 p.m. in Montgomery, Alabama.