ASHLAND, Va. – Senior Stuart Brown (Midlothian, Va./Trinity) had five hits and drove in five as the 11th-ranked Randolph-Macon baseball team took two from Emory & Henry Saturday afternoon to begin ODAC play on Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park.
The Yellow Jackets (11-4, 2-0 ODAC) combined for 27 hits and 22 runs. R-MC took the opener 13-2 and won 9-2 in the nightcap over the Wasps (6-10, 0-2 ODAC).
In the opener, R-MC got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. Freshman Ryan Duphorn (Erial, N.J./Paul VI) had a leadoff single and was sacrificed to second by sophomore Jeff Butler (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch). Duphorn moved to third on a fielder's choice and scored on a wild pitch to give the Yellow Jackets a 1-0 lead. Junior Cole Migliorini (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) had a base hit, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Brown to give R-MC a 2-0 advantage.
After E&H plated one in the top of the second, the Yellow Jackets answered in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore Ryan Hickman (Ruther Glen, Va./Carolina) had a base hit to right and moved to third when a sacrifice bunt by freshman Zach Evans (Fort Mills, S.C./Seneca) was thrown away at first. Hickman would score on a groundout by Duphorn. Butler reached on a walk and junior Rick Spiers (South Chesterfield, Va./Matoaca) had an infield single to load the bases. Migliorini delivered a two-run single to give the Yellow Jackets a 5-1 advantage.
R-MC added to its lead in the third. Senior Jay Patti (Sparks, Md./Hereford) drew a leadoff walk and scored on a sacrifice fly by Evans to make it a 6-1 game. Duphorn singled, stole second and scored on a base hit by Butler to give the Yellow Jackets a 7-1 lead.
In the fifth, Brown had a two-run single and senior Blake Saathoff (Catonsville, Md./Archbishop Spalding) followed with a run-scoring base hit to expand the advantage to 10-1. An inning later, Spiers had a two-run double as the Yellow Jackets pushed the lead to 12-1. Brown walked and scored on a single by Hickman to raise the lead to 13-1. E&H added a run in the eighth to make the final 13-2.
Brown had two hits and drove in three. Duphorn reached base four times (2 hits, 2 walks) and scored four times. Spiers (3 for 4, R) and Migliorini (2 for 5, 2 R) both knocked in two.
Junior Cody Thompson (Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) was the starter and winner, going 5.0 innings with four hits, one run, one walk and five strikeouts to raise his record to 3-0. Sophomore Nick Roth (Henrico, Va./Benedictine) worked the final four frames with two hits, one run, one walk and three punchouts to notch his first save.
After E&H tallied two in the top of the first in Game 2, R-MC responded in the bottom of the frame. Duphorn had a leadoff single and was sacrificed to second by Butler. Spiers drew a walk and both he and Duphorn moved up on a wild pitch. Migliorini singled to drive in Duphorn and make it 2-1. Migliorini and Spiers pulled off a double steal to knot the game at 2-2. With two away, junior Joseph Tuzzolo (Newport News, Va./Menchville) doubled to left to bring home Migliorini and give the Yellow Jackets a 3-2 advantage.
Brown delivered a two-run triple in the third as R-MC's lead grew to 5-2. In the fourth, Evans singled and scored on a base hit by Butler, and Duphorn reached on a base hit and came home on a sacrifice fly by Spiers to make it a 7-2 contest. Brown doubled and scored on a base hit by junior Devin Strickler (York, Pa./Eastern York) in the fifth to make it 8-2. Sophomore Ian Pape (Stafford, Va./North Stafford) doubled and scored on a groundout by Strickler in the eighth to make the final 9-2.
Brown had three hits and was a homer short of the cycle. He also drove in two. Duphorn had two hits and two runs, while Strickler knocked in two.
Freshman Michael Zubovich (Chantilly, Va./Freedom) started and won Game 2, going 6.0 innings with three hits, two runs (one earned), one walk and two strikeouts to improve to 2-0. Spiers pitched the final three frames with three hits and two strikeouts to register his second save.
Randolph-Macon begins an eight-game road trek on Tuesday, March 14 at Catholic at 3:30 p.m.