Lynchburg, Va. -- University of Lynchburg baseball split with Shenandoah on Senior Day Saturday afternoon.
Cameron Lane reached base nine times in the double-header, Nick Mattfield won his seventh game of the year, and five Hornets recorded multihit games.
Fifth-ranked Lynchburg struck first in the first contest. Lane and Logan Webster singled, Garrett Jackson was hit by a pitch, and Neaves drove in two runs with a double down the left field line. Josh Gjormand brought home Jackson later in the inning, and the home team led 3-0.
However, Lynchburg's lead did not last long as the visitors scored in each of the next four innings.
Trailing 13-5 in the eighth, Lynchburg attempted to mount a comeback. Shenandoah walked the bases loaded, and Gavin Collins earned an RBI with his 13th HBP of the season. Gjormand and Holden Fiedler tallied back-to-back RBI as well.
Already with four hits and a walk, Lane had another productive AB with an RBI fielder's choice.
Tommy Preston retired Shenandoah in the top half of the ninth and kept Lynchburg within striking distance. Collins and Fiedler recorded two more RBI each, and Lane stepped into the box with the bases loaded, two down, and trailing by two. Lane could not keep the line moving, and the visitors narrowly held on to the 13-11 victory in a four-hour marathon, snapping a five-game winning streak for Lynchburg.
Lane led off Game 2 with a single, but it took Lynchburg until the second inning to get runs on the board this time. Carrson Atkins got the scoring started with an RBI single.
Lynchburg scored nine runs during the six innings Nick Mattfield was on the mound. Mattfield earned the win for the fourth-consecutive start after serving up six innings of one-run ball with five Ks. The sophomore's seven wins are tied for the second-most in the conference, and he owns the sixth-best ERA at 2.61.
Lynchburg kept pouring it on in the seventh inning and hung a six-spot on Shenandoah. Neaves drove in the first run of the big inning with an RBI walk. The junior walked five times on the day and has worked 44 free passes this season. He broke his own program record for walks in a single season and is eight walks away from tying the program's career mark at 90.
PJ Alvanos tallied his second and third RBI of the day followed by RBI from Gjormand and Fiedler.
Grayson Thurman fanned five batters as he closed out the 15-3 win for Lynchburg. He leads the conference with 16.20 K/9.
Lynchburg grabbed its 17th win over Shenandoah and held on to first place in the ODAC standings. The defending ODAC Champs currently hold a three game lead over Randolph-Macon.
Before the game, Lynchburg honored their 16 seniors. The Class of 2022 was a pivotal part of the historic 2021 season with a program-best 36 wins, the first ODAC title since 2012, and the 10th trip to the NCAA Tournament. Chase O'Brien, a 6-year-old with brain cancer, also threw out the ceremonial first pitch to help kick off Lynchburg's participation in the national Vs. Cancer campaign. Learn more about Lynchburg's participation in this important campaign by following this link.
Lynchburg (29-7, 14-3 ODAC) hosts Hampden-Sydney for their home finale and C.O.D.E. Red Game on Tuesday, Apr. 26 at 3 p.m.
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--LYN--