St. Mary's City, Md. – Thanks to a stellar play by senior leftfielder Joey Kavanagh (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown), the St. Mary's College of Maryland baseball team (6-4) held off Randolph-Macon College's rally for the 3-2 non-conference win Wednesday afternoon.
Randolph-Macon (6-5) started the ninth inning with back-to-back singles before senior Greg Mitro (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) laid down a bunt to advance junior Brian Jordan (Columbia, Va./Goochland) and first-year Peter Culver (Bumpass, Va./Louisa) to second and third, respectively. The Seahawks then intentionally walked sophomore Jeb Weymouth (Rockville, Va./Hanover) to load the bases, allowing junior Jordan Walton (Mechanicsville, Va./Lee-Davis) to step to plate.
Senior RHP Matt Becraft (Clarksville, Md./River Hill) got Walton to line out to Kavanagh who then threw out Jordan at second to end the Yellow Jackets' comeback try and the game.
Senior Barrett Enix (Suffolk, Va./Nansemond-Suffolk Academy) evened up his pitching record to 1-1 as Enix gave up just one run on seven hits in 6.2 innings with four walks and two strikeouts. Becraft recorded his second career save, allowing just two hits in one inning of work.
St. Mary's opened up the game with a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Leadoff hitter Matt Baden (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown) doubled to left center and then advanced to third on sophomore centerfielder John Stewart's (Annapolis, Md./St. Mary's, Annapolis) sacrifice bunt. Baden plated the Seahawks' first run following sophomore shortstop Corey Napier's (Leonardtown, Md./St. Mary's Ryken) single to leftfield. Kavanagh's doubled to left field to score Napier but then was thrown out at third to end the inning.
The Seahawks stretched their lead to 3-0 in the fifth when senior right fielder Bobby Corton (Owings Mills, Md./Calvert Hall) and Baden connected on back-to-back bunt singles and then advanced to third and second, respectively, on Stewart's sacrifice bunt. Corton then scored on Napier's sacrifice fly. Sophomore LHP Tyler Kane (Mechanicsville, Va./Hanover) ended the inning without further damage by getting junior third baseman Keith Johnson (Great Mills, Md./Great Mills) to fly out.
Baden was the offensive leader for the Seahawks with a 4-for-4 effort, including a double and a run scored. Kavanagh went 2-for-4 with an RBI to finish as the other SMCM player with multiple hits.
St. Mary's wraps up its home stand this Friday, March 4 when the Seahawks welcome No. 23 Salisbury University to the Hawk's Nest for a Capital Athletic Conference game at 2:00 pm.