DEMOREST, Ga. -- Winning ways continued in one series, but continued to elude the Virginia Wesleyan College baseball Marlins in another. (Piedmont box) (Lynchburg box)

The Marlins dropped a 7-5 decision to host Piedmont College on Saturday, marking the ninth straight loss in the series with the Lions, but bounced back Sunday to pin a 4-2 loss on Lynchburg College on Piedmont's Loudermilk Field.  The non-conference win over Lynchburg was VWC's fifth in the last six games with the Hornets and 10th in the last 14 meetings.

VWC (4-2) led from the start against Lynchburg (3-5), taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when a grounder from sophomore Jacob Pierce (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) scored junior Steve Jones (Virginia Beach/Lake Taylor), whol led off the inning with a walk.

The Marlins took a 2-0 lead in the third when junior Gage Collins (Newport News, Va./Menchville) singled in junior Shayne Paskanik (Fredericksburg, Va./Colonial Forge), who singled earlier.  Junior Mike McCutcheon (Chesapeake, Va./Deep Creek) also singled in the inning.

VWC starting pitcher Josh Miller (Norfolk, Va./Chesapeake Greenbrier Christian)kept the Hornets threatless through three innings, but Lynchburg used a walk and a double to put a runner on third in the fourth.  It ended there on a fly out for the third out.

Virginia Wesleyan followed the big out with a solid offensive half of the inning, starting with a single from sophomore Ryan Estrella (Bridgeport, Conn./Trumbull).  AJosh Hathaway (Williamsburg, Va./Jamestown)singled moved Estrella to third and Jones followed with a bunt to load the bases.  One out later Pierce ripped a two-run single to increase VWC's lead to 4-0.

Lynchburg averted the shutout with a single run in the sixth on a Chris Colquhoun (Virginia Beach/Salem) sacrifice fly that scored Mike Walters (Manassas, Va./Osbourn), who started the inning with a single.  The Hornets scored again in the eighth on an RBI-single from Michael Del Buono (Clifton, Va./Robinson), scoring Brock Shiflett (Henrico, Va./Steward), who reached base after being hit by a pitch.

Virginia Wesleyan left players in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings.

Miller worked four innings on the mound for VWC and walked three and gave up four hits.  Sophomore Evan Polk (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) took the pitching win, throwing to 14 batters and striking out two.  He gave up two hits and two earned runs, before sophomore Ryan Matalon (Virginia Beach/Floyd E. Kellam) entered in the eighth to close.  He took on eight batters and struck out one, allowed two hits and walked one.

Trevor Johnston (Forest, Va./Jefferson Forest) took the pitching loss, splitting eight innings with James Womack (Lynchburg, Va./Heritage).  They combined two strike out two batters, walk five and allow 10 hits and four earned runs.

Paskanik and Collins belted a double and single each to top VWC hitting, which included a pair of Hathaway singles.  Pierce drove in three runs.

Walters and DelBuono led Lynchburg with two hits each.

Pierce, Paskanik and McCutcheon all connected for a double each against Piedmont, but it wasn't enough for the Marlins who finished with just six hits.  Piedmont (4-3) connected for 11 hits, led by Kyle Davis (Warner Robins, Ga./Houston County) with three.

The game was tied 2-2 entering the bottom of the seventh when Piedmont knocked out four singles to help push in four runs.  The Lions tacked on another run in the bottom of the eighth to lead 7-2, before VWC closed with a rally in the top of the ninth.

Pierce was hit by a pitch to start the inning and moved to third on a Paskanik double. Jones drew a walk to load the bases and Miller singled in a run. Collins kept things going with a single that scored two more runs, but three consecutive outs stopped the comeback.

Junior Cameron Butler (Virginia Beach/Landstown)took the pitching loss for VWC after pitching seven innings.  He struck out five watters, walked one and gave up 10 hits and five earned runs.  Rookie Reid Hoffler (Chesapeake, Va./Suffolk Nansemond River)and Matalon worked the eighth for VWC.

Caleb Cochran (Americus, Ga./Sumter) was the winning pitcher for Piedmont.  He worked seven innings, struck out six, walked one and gave up three hits and two earned runs.  Ed Cook (Peachtree City, Ga./Starrs' Mill) pitched one inning and Matt Collins (Roswell, Ga./Roswell) earned the save.

Collins led VWC hitting with two singles.

Virginia Wesleyan competes again on Tuesday, Feb. 22, playing in Newport News against Christopher Newport University (5-1) at 2 p.m. Fans unable to attend the game in person can follow live stats at: http://www.sidearmstats.com/cnu/baseball/index.htm

--AMDG--