ASHLAND, Va. – Junior Ethan Iannuzzi (Chesterfield, Va./Cosby) was a triple short of the cycle, going 4 for 4 with a homer, three runs and three RBI as the Randolph-Macon baseball team outscored Tufts 10-6 on Saturday afternoon in a matchup of teams receiving votes in the D3baseball.com national poll.
The Basics
Score: Randolph-Macon 10, Tufts 6
Venue: Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park
Records: R-MC 13-4, Tufts 10-1
How It Happened:
- The Jumbos plated a pair in the top of the first before the Yellow Jackets answered in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore Matt Myers (Hempstead, Md./Manchester Valley) had a leadoff double and came home on a two-bagger by Iannuzzi to make it 2-1. Iannuzzi scored the tying run on a base hit by sophomore Myles Webb (Norfolk, Va./Granby) to level it at 2-2.
- R-MC took the lead for good in the third. With two away, Webb drew a walk and came around on a double by senior Spencer Pietruszynski (Williamsburg, Va./Jamestown) to make it 3-2. Junior Carter Johnson (Southampton, Va./Southampton) singled to plate Pietruszynski to give the home team a 4-2 lead.
- The Yellow Jackets put up another crooked number in the fourth. Sophomore Grayson Bush (Charlottesville, Va./Monticello) had a one-out walk, stole second and scored on a single by Myers to extend the lead to 5-2. After a two-out base hit by Iannuzzi, Webb delivered a double to bring in Myers and Iannuzzi, making it 7-2.
- Tufts tallied three in the top of the sixth to pull within two before R-MC got one back in the bottom of the sixth. Bush had a leadoff single and was sacrificed to second by Myers. After moving to third on a groundout, Bush scored on a single by Iannuzzi to give the Yellow Jackets an 8-5 edge.
- The Jumbos again pulled within two with a run in the top of the seventh. R-MC responded in the bottom of the inning. Pietruszynski had a leadoff double, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman Aaron Lautenschlager (Purcellville, Va./Loudoun Valley) to make the score 9-6.
- Sophomore Wyatt Stanley (Beaverdam, Va./Patrick Henry) retired Tufts in order in the top of the eighth. The Yellow Jackets added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth as Iannuzzi belted a home run to left, his fourth dinger of the season, to make it 10-6.
- Stanley worked around a one-out single in the ninth to secure the win and record his fourth save.
By The Numbers
- R-MC scored in six of its eight at-bats.
- The Yellow Jackets reached double-figure runs for the sixth time this season and the third time in the past four games.
- Webb had two hits and three RBI.
- Myers went 2 for 4 with two runs and one RBI.
- Pietruszynski had two doubles, two runs and one RBI.
- Freshman Bere Bauers (Devon, Pa./Devon Prep) earned the win in relief, going 3.1 innings with six hits, three runs, two walks and three strikeouts to raise his record to 2-1.
Up Next
R-MC will host Tufts at noon on Sunday.