VIRGINIA BEACH - Trailing 7-4 in the ninth inning, Virginia Wesleyan struck for four runs in the final frame to rally past Roanoke 8-7 Saturday and salvage a doubleheader split.

Alex Lambert (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) and Bryant Liberta (Newport News, Va./Menchville) had RBI singles in the ninth and Anthony Siracusa (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn) scored what proved to be the game-winning run on an overthrow for the Marlins (4-10, 1-3), who won for the second time in three games and seem intent on turning things around after a rough start to the 2012 season.

 "It's one of the most important things that could have happened to us because these guys have been lacking some confidence," Boothe said. "But this is a good group of guys. I think they're going to surprise some people."

Lambert had two hits and three RBIs, Liberta added two hits and two RBI and Josh Horn (Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside), Matt Ittner (Virginia Beach, Va./Cox) and Brett Sutryk (Bath, N.Y./Haverling) each drove in a run for the Marlins, who banged out 13 hits. Evan Polk (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge), the sixth Marlins pitcher to enter the game, pitched a one-run ninth to notch his first victory of the season.

In the opener, Roanoke's Mark Wimmer tossed a complete-game seven-hitter as the Marlins fell 10-1. Casey King (Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside) drove in Virginia Wesleyan's lone run.

Virginia Wesleyan returns to action at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 21, at Averett. The Marlins defeated the Cougars 4-2 in Virginia Wesleyan's home opener on Feb. 21.