GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Cardiac Quakers struck again, as under the dusk-time skies of McBane Field, it was Christian Chinen (Honolulu, Hawaii) this time who delivered the decisive blow, rolling a grounder into centerfield to plate Ryne Rodrigues (Summerfield, N.C.) for a 7-6 walk-off win following a 13-9 barnburner victory in game one by the Guilford College baseball team (9-1, 2-0 ODAC), claiming an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) opening sweep of Virginia Wesleyan University (3-4, 0-2 ODAC) on Saturday afternoon.

Here's a look at how tonight's walkoff knock looked as we completed the sweep of the Marlins!#GoQuakes pic.twitter.com/iaypXGpc08

— Guilford College Baseball (@QuakersBaseB) March 9, 2025

The beat marches on in the early-going for the Quakers, who maintain their best beginning to a season since 1975 with their first sweep of a traditionally troublesome Marlins squad for the first time since 2014, which was also the last time they began their league slate 2-0.

While the offense continued to steal the spotlight, the pitching showed signs of life for GC. Marcello Ricigliano (Kernersville, N.C.) and Jacob Ray (Burlington, N.C.) both looked sharp early before fading some later in their outings, although GC's drought of a starter not getting the win maintained. The Quakers' ace Ricigliano completed 4.2 innings finishing by allowing five runs, all earned, on eight hits and a walk while striking out three. Jack McDowell got the nod for VWU and Guilford hit him well to the tune of five runs, all earned, on six hits and five walks, fanning one across 3.0 innings. The decisions came down to the bullpens and Jacob Phillips (Browns Summit, N.C.) claimed the win to up his mark to 3-0 on the season allowing two runs, both earned, on four hits and a walk over 1.2 innings. Like Phillips, Brandon Drewry was the first man out of the pen for the Marlins, but he got hit with the loss to fall to 0-1 after permitting three earned runs on a hit and two walks.

In a game in which seven Quakers scored at least once, and six of the nine starters drove in at least one RBI, Rylan Smith (Archdale, N.C.) was the standout for the Quaker offense going 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, two runs scored, and four driven in. Skyler Dark (Pleasant Garden, N.C.) continued his outstanding start atop the Guilford nine going 2-of-4 with a walk, a double, three bases stolen, and three runs scored. Grayson Tudor (Reidsville, N.C.) and Carter Blum (McLeansville, N.C.) had two knocks apiece with the latter reaching in all five of his plate appearances, scoring twice and driving in one more. Chase Wade (Archdale, N.C.) also connected on a three-run homer for GC.

Ty James had a 3-for-3 performance for VWU, adding a walk while hitting a double, scoring once and driving in one. Noah Burton also had three hits crossing the plate twice and stealing a bag. Josh Goodrich drove in three runs despite just one hit and John Bastiaans had a long ball for the guests.

Ray completed the first 4.1 innings of the late game permitting three runs, although just two earned, on four hits and two walks but he did fan five. Matthew Weber had a similarly short outing lasting just 3.2 innings allowing four runs, all earned, on seven hits and a walk. The decisions came down to the last arms from the pen in this one, as opposed to the first ones, with Wade allowing just a single runner to reach on an HBP in his 2.0 scoreless innings to improve to 2-0. Ryan Cason pitched in both bouts of the twinbill and ended up on the hook allowing a run on a hit and three free passes over the final 1.1 innings to drop to 1-1.

Dark stayed hot with a 3-for-4 showing, blasting a homer and driving in two. Collin McGuire (Wilkesboro, N.C.) was the only other player with multiple hits for the home team, driving in two. Rodrigues had a double and two walks, scoring twice and Blum just kept doing the little things to help the team win, reaching twice on walks, scoring both times.

Clay Clarke went 2-of-4 with a walk and a steal for the Marlins in game two and Nick Valentin duplicated his line, save for an HBP instead of a BB. Only two RBIs were distributed of the six Marlin runs scored with Gino Meienshein and John Stilwell having one apiece.

GAME 1

After Marcello Ricigliano (Kernersville, N.C.) required just six pitches in a flawless top of the first, the Guilford offense struck right away against Jack McDowell. Skyler Dark (Pleasant Garden, N.C.) led off by bashing a pitch off the base of the right field fence for a double. He took another 90 feet on a productive out by Aaron Williams (Mocksville, N.C.) ahead of a free pass drawn Rylan Smith (Archdale, N.C.). A strikeout represented the second out and the Quakers were on the verge of squandering the scoring chance, but a two-strike single to left-center by Ryne Rodrigues (Summerfield, N.C.) prevented that and plated the opening run.

The home team added on in the game's early stages, too. A couple walks and a fielders choice gave GC runners on the corners in the second and Dark and Carter Blum (McLeansville, N.C.) executed a first-and-third double-steal play for a second run. Then in the third, they loaded the bases with one out and an Ethan George (Burlington, N.C.) sacrifice fly, and run-scoring singles by Blum and Christian Chinen (Honolulu, Hawaii) made it 5-0.

Ricigliano encountered trouble in the fourth, however. A Nick Valentin leadoff double and a Marcell Whitfield HBP put two men on and a sacrifice bunt advanced them both. Josh Goodrich capitalized with a two-run single and after Noah Burton dumped a single inside the rightfield line, Clay Clarke made it a one-run game with a triple. Opening the fifth frame, John Bastiaans golfed a 2-1 offering just over the fence in straight-away right to level the score at five with his third home run of the season.

Brandon Drewry, who had relieved Jack McDowell to start the fourth, was cruising along until the Quakers got to him and broke the game open in the sixth. A hit batsman and a couple walks, with a sac bunt and some other items mixed in, loaded the bases with one out for Smith who put the hometown nine ahead for good with a big two-strike single through the left side. Chase Wade (Archdale, N.C.) followed, falling behind in the count, 0-2, but battled back and drove a 2-2 pitch to the power-alley in right center, clearing the fence with his first homer of the year. Another George sacrifice fly extended the lead later in the frame as Guilford led 11-3 through six-full.

Guilford would not make it easy on themselves, as Va. Wes. pieced together four runs in the top of the seventh, and they could have had the chance for more had Williams not gunned down a runner trying to steal second earlier in the frame. However, Jack Ratliff (Greensboro, N.C.) entered and settled things down facing just one man over the minimum in scoreless eighth and ninth innings and Smith gave them breathing room with a two-run double to bring the final tallies to 13-9.

GAME 2

The late contest began similar to the early game for Guilford, with a quick, flawless opening frame, this time from Jacob Ray (Burlington, N.C.), then a quick run, as Skyler Dark (Pleasant Garden, N.C.) mashed a pitch leading off for Guilford, this one the third offering he received from Matthew Weber, but this time he cleared the fence in right-center for his first home run of the season, and his second leadoff shot of his career to put the good guys in front.

Guilford manufactured two more in the second as well, getting a walk and a single to open the frame before a sacrifice bunt, a sacrifice fly, and a Dark RBI-hit made it 3-0. Then in the fourth, Aaron Williams (Mocksville, N.C.) pitched in a sacrifice fly to extend the advantage to a quartet.

That is when GC got a little sloppy defensively, however. Clay Clarke walked and Edgar Harwood singled and as John Bastiaans tried to bunt them both up, Ray's throw went down the rightfield line to allow two runs to score then a wild pitch chased in Bastiaans.

The Quakers benefited from a similar play the next inning with Ryne Rodrigues (Summerfield, N.C.) walking and Carter Blum (McLeansville, N.C.) trying to bunt him up, but instead reaching and advancing on a bad throw. Collin McGuire (Wilkesboro, N.C.) brought them both home with a single under the second baseman's glove to extend the lead.

With a man on and two out in the top of the sixth, Clarke singled cleanly to left but then Jordan Burrough (Greensboro, N.C.) did not stay down on it and the ball scooted by him as a result, and Noah Burton would come around to score from first. Then in the seventh, the first two men reached on fielding errors, they both advanced on a wild pitch before Gino Meienshein brought in the lead runner, and John Stilwell leveled the score with a single.

With sunlight beginning to dwindle, and time limited for the game to have a decision, the pitching settled in, or more accurately, the defenses settled down and that set the stage for the ninth inning for Guilford. CJ Buchan (Williamsburg, Va.) pinch hit to leadoff the inning and reached on an error as Hayden Sekanik (Tampa, Fla.) ran for him. Rodrigues walked and after Sekanik swiped third on a dirtball read, the Marlins loaded the bases by intentionally walking Blum. Two batters later, Chinen sent the home fans happy, singling back through the box, lifting the Quakers to 9-1 with the 7-6 walk-off win.

Guilford hosts Montclair State University for a midweek showdown on Tuesday afternoon for their next matchup. First pitch is set for 2:00 PM.  

#GoQuakes