ASHLAND, Va. – Junior Bere Bauers (Phoenixville, Pa./Devon Prep), the reigning ODAC Pitcher of the Week, allowed one earned run over 7.2 innings with nine strikeouts as the 20th-ranked and top-seeded Randolph-Macon baseball team edged eighth-seeded Washington and Lee 3-2 on Friday afternoon in Game 1 of their best-of-three quarterfinal series in the 2024 ODAC Championship.
The Basics:
Score: Randolph-Macon 3, Washington and Lee 2
Venue: Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park
Records: RMC 27-11, WLU 16-18
How It Happened:
- The Generals put up a pair of runs in the top of the third before the Yellow Jackets answered in the fourth. Senior Myles Webb (Norfolk, Va./Granby) had a leadoff single, went to second on a wild pitch, moved to third on consecutive walks to freshman Zach Wernoski (Chapel Hill, N.C./East Chapel Hill) and senior Matt Myers (Hampstead, Md./Manchester Valley), and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Aiden Pinto (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) to make it 2-1.
- RMC would take the lead in the seventh. Freshman Jon Quici (Paoli, Pa./Conestoga) and sophomore Carter Schmitt (Glen Allen, Va./St. Christopher's) worked one-out walks before Quici came home on a double by Webb to level the score at 2-2. Schmitt snapped the deadlock on a sacrifice fly by junior Chaz Harvey (Charlottesville, Va./Miller School) as the Yellow Jackets went up 3-2.
- Bauers would exit after retiring two in the eighth. After surrendering an RBI double in the third, he retired the final 15 Generals he faced. He allowed three hits and walked one in raising his record to 3-2.
- Junior Sam Slevin (Virginia Beach, Va./Frank Cox) recorded the final out of the eighth and tossed a scoreless ninth to notch his 10th save, a program record. He fanned the final batter looking to secure the victory.
By The Numbers
- The Yellow Jackets are 25-0 when leading after seven innings.
- RMC is 22-1 when holding opponents to five runs or less.
- The Yellow Jackets were held to a season-low four hits. They had recorded double-figure hits in seven of the previous eight games.
- RMC pitchers held their second straight opponent to four hits.
- Webb went 2 for 4 with a double, one run and one RBI. He leads the team with 19 multi-hit games.
- Wernoski drew a walk and has reached base in 35 straight games.
- Quici walked twice and scored once.
- Schmitt walked once and scored a run. He has reached base in 20 straight games.
Up Next
Game 2 in this quarterfinal series is scheduled for Saturday, May 4, at 12:30 p.m. If Game 3 is necessary, it will follow Game 2, weather permitting. Please check RMCAthletics.com for schedule adjustment due to weather.