ASHLAND, Va. – Sophomore Aaron Lautenschlager (Purcellville, Va./Loudon Valley) went 2 for 4 with a homer, two runs and three RBI as the fourth-seeded and 14th-ranked Randolph-Macon baseball team defeated fifth-seeded Hampden-Sydney 9-8 on Sunday afternoon to sweep the opening round series of the ODAC Championship.

The Basics

Score: Randolph-Macon 9, Hampden-Sydney 8

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

Records: RMC 31-11, HSC 20-19

How It Happened

• The Yellow Jackets started the scoring in the top of the first. Junior Matt Myers (Hampstead, Md./Manchester Valley) was hit by a pitch with one away and went to third on a base hit by senior Ethan Iannuzzi (Chesterfield, Va./Cosby). Myers came home on a sacrifice fly by freshman Carter Schmitt (Glen Allen, Va./St. Christopher's). Iannuzzi stole second, went to third on the fly ball by Schmitt and scored on a single by Lautenschlager as RMC went up 2-0.
• In the third, Iannuzzi had a one-out single for RMC and scored on a two-out homer by Lautenschlager, his second of the season, as the lead grew to 4-0.
• After the Tigers plated a run in the third, the Yellow Jackets responded in the fifth as Iannuzzi had a leadoff homer, his 11th to tie senior Hunter Cole (Norfolk, Va./Granby) for the team lead, as the advantage grew to 5-1.
• In the sixth, sophomore Chaz Harvey (Charlottesville, Va./Miller School) was hit by a pitch and scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-1.
• Harvey had a two-run double, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Grayson Bush (Charlottesville, Va./Monticello) as RMC took a 9-1 lead.
• HSC scored four in the eighth and three in the ninth to make the final 9-8.

By The Numbers

• Lautenschlager went 2 for 4 with a walk, two runs and three RBI.
• Iannuzzi was 3 for 4 with a walk, three runs and one RBI. He extended his on-base streak to 17 games.
• Harvey went 1 for 3 with two runs and two RBI.
• Senior Carter Johnson (Southampton, Va./Southampton) was 1 for 4 with a walk and a run. He extended his on-base streak to 26 games.
• Cole went 1 for 5 with a walk. He extended his on-base streak to 19 games.
• Junior Drew Ramos (Williamsburg, Va./Lafayette) pitched the first five innings with three hits, one run and two strikeouts to raise his record to 6-1.

For The Record

• The Yellow Jackets reached 31 wins for the third time in program history. RMC had 38 wins in 2018 and 35 in 2016.
• RMC is 26-0 when leading after eight innings.
• The Yellow Jackets are 28-1 when scoring six or more runs.
• RMC is 24-3 when hitting at least one home run.
• The Yellow Jackets are 13-1 when not committing an error.

Up Next

RMC advances to the second round of the ODAC Championship May 11-13 at Pitt Field on the campus of the University of Richmond. Four teams will compete in a double-elimination format to crown the 2023 ODAC Champion.