VIRGINIA BEACH -- Randolph-Macon College's Yellow Jackets scored twice in the top of the first inning and never surrendered the lead in a 5-3 Old Dominion Athletic Conference victory over the host Marlins of Virginia Wesleyan College on Wednesday.

Matt Fischgrund (Gloucester/Gloucester) ripped a two-run double to put the Jackets (9-9, 5-4) on the scoreboard, sending in Mitchell Keeler (Mechanicsville/Atlee) and Jake Fletcher (Deltaville/Middlesex) who led off the inning with a walk and a single, respectively.

Virginia Wesleyan (6-16, 3-6) cut into the lead in the bottom of the inning, scoring once when sophomore Jordan Miller (Chesapeake/Grassfield) drew a bases loaded walk.  Brett Sutryk (Bath, N.Y./Haverling), who singled earlier in the inning, scored for the Marlins.

R-MC took back the two-run lead in the top of the second, however.  Keeler belted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Mak Heiderman (Lynchburg/Jefferson Forest), who led off the inning with a single.

Virginia Wesleyan answered in the bottom of the third to once again pull within a run at 3-2.  Josh Miller (Norfolk/Greenbrier Christian) walked to star the inning, moved to second on a single by Casey Bryant (Virginia Beach/Ocean Lakes), and took third on a wild pitch.  He scored when Billy Crowe (Bath, N.Y./Haverling)hit into a fielder's choice.

The Marlins were hitless through the next three innings, but connected for five hits in the last three innings.  Double plays squelched VWC threats in the seventh and eighth innings, and the Marlins managed only a single in the bottom of the ninth.  VWC did get one run across in the bottom of the seventh.

R-MC extended its lead to 4-2 with a run in the top of the sixth and added another run in the top of eighth. 

Both teams finished with eight hits each.  Matt Ittner (Virginia Beach/Frank W. Cox), Sutryk and Bryant led VWC with two hits each.  Fischgrund recorded a pair of doubles to lead R-MC.  Fletcher also had two hits for the Jackets.

VWC used four pitchers who combined to strike out seven batters.  They walked three and gave up eight hits and five earned runs.  Four pitchers also worked for R-MC, striking out eight, walking four and giving up eight hits and three earned runs.  Reid Hoffler (Chesapeake/Suffolk Nansemond River) started for the Marlins and Daniel Byrd (Chesterfield/Cosby) started for R-MC.

Virginia Wesleyan competes again on Thursday, March 28, motoring to Newport News to face Christopher Newport University in a non-conference game starting at 3 p.m.

--AMDG--