May 8, 2021

Iannuzzi Reaches 9 Times for R-MC Baseball in Split vs. EMU

More news about: Randolph-Macon

Batting

Eastern Mennonite
2B: Ray Tricarico; Jacob Merica
3B: none
HR: none
Randolph-Macon
2B: Will Hass; Grayson Bush
3B: Ryan Duphorn; Jacob Selden
HR: Mike Nickles
full stats

ASHLAND, Va. – Sophomore Ethan Iannuzzi (Chesterfield, Va./Cosby) had five hits, three walks and one hit by pitch on the day in 11 plate appearances as the 21st-ranked and top-seeded Randolph-Macon baseball team split a doubleheader with Eastern Mennonite on Saturday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the ODAC Tournament, setting up a deciding game on Sunday at 1 p.m.

The Basics

Score: #1 Randolph-Macon 14-4, #8 Eastern Mennonite 6-7

Site/Venue: Ashland, Va./Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park

Records: R-MC 23-10, EMU 8-13

How It Happened: Game 1

  • After the Royals put up two in the top of the first, the Yellow Jackets answered in the bottom of the frame. Senior Ryan Duphorn (Erial, N.J./Paul VI) had a leadoff single and went to second when Iannuzzi was hit by a pitch. Both runners moved up on a groundout to first by senior Mike Nickles (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge). Senior Reece Yeargain (Chester, Va./Benedictine) lined a single to center to drive in both Duphorn and Iannuzzi to tie the game at 2-2.
  • R-MC took the lead in the second. Senior Kevin Mooney (Williamsburg, Va./Jamestown) started the inning with a base hit and went to second when senior Shawn Nickles (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) was plunked. Freshman Grayson Bush (Charlottesville, Va./Monticello) moved both runners up 90 feet with a sacrifice bunt. Duphorn delivered a sacrifice fly to left to plate Mooney and give the home team a 3-2 edge.
  • EMU reclaimed the lead with three in the fourth before the Yellow Jackets responded in the fifth. Senior Jacob Selden (Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass) had a leadoff walk and scored on a double by Will Hass to pull R-MC with one at 5-4. Mooney singled to move Hass to third and advanced to second on a wild pitch. With one away, Bush doubled down the right field line to drive home Hass and Mooney and give the Yellow Jackets a 6-5 lead. A single by Duphorn brought home Bush to give R-MC a 7-5 advantage. With two away, a Yeargain single drove in Duphorn as the Yellow Jackets went up 8-5.
  • The Royals got one back in the top of the sixth, but R-MC responded quickly in the bottom of the frame. With two away, Shawn Nickles singled, stole second and went to third on an errant throw. After a walk to Bush, a triple by Duphorn knocked in both runners to make it 10-6. A base hit by Iannuzzi brought home Duphorn as the Yellow Jackets took an 11-6 lead.
  • R-MC added to its total in the seventh. Selden had a one-out triple and came home on a base hit by junior Will Hass (Charlottesville, Va./St. Anne's Belfield) to make it 12-6.
  • In the eighth, Iannuzzi had a one-out walk and senior Matt Nickles (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) followed with a homer to right, his fifth of the season, to make the final 14-6.

By The Numbers

  • Senior John Reynolds Jr. (Bumpass, Va./Louisa) earned the win in relief. He worked the final five innings with three hits, one run, two walks and five strikeouts.
  • Duphorn had three hits, three runs and four RBI.
  • Iannuzzi went 1 for 2 with three walks, two runs and one RBI.
  • Yeargain had two hits and three RBI.

How It Happened: Game 2

  • EMU put up three in the bottom of the first before R-MC started its scoring in the top of the fourth. Yeargain had a leadoff double, advanced to third on a base hit by Selden and scored on a single to right by Hass to make it 3-1.
  • The Royals added one in the sixth and three in the eighth before the Yellow Jackets got back on the board in the ninth. Bush drew a leadoff walk and went to second on a one-out single by Iannuzzi. Mike Nickles singled to knock in Bush. Yeargain had an RBI groundout and Hass drove in one with a base hit to make the final 7-4

By The Numbers

  • Iannuzzi went 4 for 5 with a run.
  • Hass went 3 for 4 with two RBI. He had five hits on the day.
  • The Yellow Jackets stranded 12.
  • Sophomore Hayden Snelsire (Berlin, Md./Stephen Decatur) fanned nine in 5.1 innings.

Up Next

Randolph-Macon and Eastern Mennonite will play the series-deciding game on Sunday, May 9 at 1 p.m. on Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park. The winner will advance to the semifinal series of the ODAC Tournament against the winner of Sunday's game between #4 Shenandoah and #5 Hampden-Sydney.