VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Brandon Kussmaul's two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning gave Virginia Wesleyan College a 2-1 victory over visiting Guilford College in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) baseball action Saturday.

The Marlins (8-4, 2-1 ODAC) struggled against Guilford starter Parks Smithey (1-3), who fanned a career-high nine batters and scattered three hits in a complete-game effort. C.J. Lindsay's solo home run in the third inning tied the game at 1-1 after Guilford took a 1-0 lead on Josh Shepherd's run-scoring single.

Virginia Wesleyan's Nik Milvo worked a walk against Smithey to open the ninth inning, but he was erased when Smithey fielded Taylor Erby's bunt and threw down to second. Erby stole second with Randy Neisz at the plate and took third on a throwing error. Smithey fanned Neisz for the inning's second out, before Kussmaul singled home the game-winner.

The Marlins' three pitchers also threw effectively. Starter John Effinger worked out of a bases-loaded situation in the first inning and allowed just the Quakers' one run. He left Guilford runners on second and third in the fourth inning before yielding to Austin Gammon in the fifth. Gammon threw three scoreless frames and allowed only two hits. Nick Ott (1-0) worked the final two frames and earned the win.

Jacob Roberts, Chuck Noble and Mitchell Stumpo each had two hits for Guilford, which left nine runners on base.

Coach Nick Black's '02 Quakers close out the two-game set with the Marlins Sunday (3/13) at 1:00 p.m.