VIRGINIA BEACH -- A trio of five-run innings helped to create big deficits for the Virginia Wesleyan College baseball team on Saturday, as the Marlins dropped their first Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) doubleheader to the Guilford College Quakers at Marlins Field.

The Quakers wiped out a 4-2 deficit with a five-run fifth inning en route to a 13-10 decision in the first game, and posted five-run showings in the sixth and ninth innings of the second game to post a 15-4 win for the sweep.

Guilford (8-6, 2-0) out-hit the Marlins 34-20 overall, including a two-run home run by Corey Wallace (Rockingham, N.C./Richmond) in the first game and two grand slams in the second contest.  He hit 7-for-11 in the two games, driving in 11 runs.

Virginia Wesleyan (3-7, 0-2) opened up a 4-0 lead in the first game with a three-run third, helped by singles from rookies Taylor Erby (Norfolk/Lake Taylor), C.J. Lindsay (Remington/Bealeton Liberty), and Austin Gammon (North Chesterfield/Lloyd C. Bird), and junior Jordan Miller (Chesapeake/Grassfield).

Guilford cut into the lead in the top of the fourth with the help of a two-run double from Noble and then grabbed the lead in the top of the fifth.  The Quakers added another run in the sixth to take an 8-4 lead, before VWC rallied.

The Marlins belted out four hits en route to scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth, highlighted by RBI hits from rookies Chris Gilliam (Mechanicsville/Hanover) and Ty Boothe (Virginia Beach/Floyd E. Kellam) and juniorZach Bach (Virginia Beach/Frank W. Cox).

Both teams scored twice in the eighth to take a 10-all tie into the ninth.  Guilford won it there, posting a three run inning off four hits. J.M. Smith (Greensboro, N.C /Western Guilford) connected for a two-run single and Wallace singled to tally the third run.  There wasn't any game-ending rally by VWC as the Marlins fell 1-2-3.

Virginia Wesleyan recorded 13 hits, led by Bach with three. Senior Brett Sutryk (Bath, N.Y./Haverling) contributed two hits, one a triple, and Miller finished with two hits, including a double.  Gammon posted two singles.

Four Quakers recorded multiple hits, led by Smith with four.

Junior Alex Tucci (Stewartsville, Pa./York Catholic) dropped to 1-1 with the loss after pitching seven innings.  He struck out five batters, walked four, and gave up nine hits and eight earned runs.  Senior Brooks Kirby (Warwickshire, England/Cohbam School) pitched the last two inings.

Borja Jones-Berasaluce (Newton, Mass./Newton North) notched the pitching win, facing 28 batters in 5+ innings.  He struck out five and gave up 11 hits and seven earned runs. Two pitchers followed to close the game.

Game two saw Guilford use two pitchers, with Drew Crawford (Newport, Tenn./Cocke County) taking the win. He worked eight innings, striking out four, walking one and giving up seven hits and four earned runs before he was relieved.

Virginia Wesleyan called upon four pitchers, with Dylan Stoskus (Ashburn/Arlington Bishop O'Connell) taking the loss after working six full innings. He stuck out six, walked one, but gave up 15 hits and eight earned runs.

Virginia Wesleyan led 2-1 after a two run second inning, but Guilford took the lead for good with a three-run third.  VWC closed within a 4-3 score with a run in the fourth before Guilford recorded a five-run sixth to pull away.

Guilford outhit the Marlins 18-7 in the game, led by Herc Ingels (Lenoir, N.C./Hibriten), Smith, and Wallace with four hits each.  Bach led VWC with a two hits. Jason Erby (Norfolk/Lake Taylor) hit a double for VWC and Casey King (Virginia Beach/Bayside) ripped a triple.

Virginia Wesleyan returns to Marlins Field on Sunday, March 2, to welcome in the Division II Panthers of Adelphi University for a single game beginning at 11 a.m.

--AMDG--