VIRGINIA BEACH -- Hitting can cool off from one game to another in a doubleheader, but that wasn't the case Saturday for Virginia Wesleyan College's baseball team.

The Marlins cranked out a season-high 16 hits in the first game of an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) doubleheader with Lynchburg College's Hornets at Marlins Field, and then topped that toal with 18 hits in the second contest.

The big-hit offense guided the Marlins to a split, posting a 6-2 win in the first game, followed by a 17-14 loss in the second.

Rookies had their day in the sun as Clay Walker (South Hill/Park View) hit 4-for-4 in the first game and Ty Boothe (Virginia Beach/Floyd E. Kellam) finished 4-for-5 in the second. Steady bats were highlighted throughout the line-up however, as rookies C.J. Lindsay (Remington/Bealeton Liberty) and Taylor Erby (Norfolk/Lake Taylor) finished the afternoon with 5-for-10 showings.  Walker recorded five hits in seven at-bats on the day and Boothe hit 5-of-8. Senior Brett Sutryk (Bath, N.Y./Haverling) finished 5-for-11.

Virginia Wesleyan's first at-bat in the opener set the direction of the afternoon as Sutryk hit a one-out single to get the Marlins started. Zach Bach (Virginia Beach/Frank W. Cox) tripled, Lindsay doubled, and Erby singled as the Marlins bolted out to a 3-0 lead.  Walker singled before the inning was over and VWC led 4-0.

The Marlins (5-12, 1-5 ODAC) recorded at least one hit in five of the next six innings, including four in the third inning to drive in two more runs for a 6-0 lead. Lindsay opened that inning with a double down the left line. Walker and Justin Erby (Norfolk/Lake Taylor) both hit RBI-singles in the inning that included a single from rookie Nic Kurz (Yorktown/Grafton).

Lynchburg (11-4, 3-3 ODAC) avoided the shutout with two runs in the top of the eighth, helped by three hits.

Junior Alex Tucci (Stewartstown, Pa./York Catholic) picked up his second win in four starts, working eight innings. He struck out four batters, walked two, and scattered six hits.  Senor Reid Hoffler (Chesapeake/Suffolk Nansemond River) entered in the ninth, faced three batters, and allowed nothing.

VWC's 16 hits in the opener included two twos from Lindsay and one from Sutryk.  Bach tripled.  Walker paced overall hitting with four, followed by Taylor Erby with three and Kurz with two.

Rob Tomasulo (Somers, N.Y./Somers) led Lynchburg's six-hit offense with three hits. Brandon Miller (Vesuvius/Rockbridge County) pitched seven innings and faced 33 batters. He struck out three, walked one, and gave up 16 its and five earned runs.

VWC and Lynchburg combined for 36 hits in the second game, 18 by each team.  Lynchburg led 12-3 entering the bottom of the sixth inning when the Marlins produce seven runs to close the gap.  Virginia Wesleyan ripped Hornets pitching for seven hits, including RBI singles from Sutryk, Lindsay, Taylor Erby, and Boothe.

Lynchburg padded its lead with a run in the top of the eighth  to make it a 13-10 game, but the Marlins came right back to close with a 13-12 score with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Bach reached base on an error and Lindsay and Taylor Erby loaded the bases with singles, setting things up for Boothe who drilled a single to score two.

The Hornets pulled away again in the top of the ninth with four runs off three hits, highlighted by a Jay Kenyon (Vienna/Madison) double. Virginia Wesleyan made things interesting however, posting two runs before Lynchburg came up with the outs to end the rally and post the 17-14 decision.

Lynchburg used four pitchers, led by Zac Patrick (Midlothian/James River), who worked 5.1 innings and took the win. He struck out three, walked four, and allowed seven hits and four earned runs

Nine Marlins took turns on the mound, starting with sophomore Sean Greiser (Virginia Beach/Floyd E. Kellam), who last the longest, pitching two innings.

Boothe led VWC hitting with four. Sutryk and Lindsay recorded three hits each and Bach and Taylor Erby posted two each.

Jake Tanner (Big Island/Liberty) and Tomasulo paced Lynchburg with four hits each.

Virginia Wesleyan competes again on Sunday, March 16, hosting Indiana's Earlham College in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at noon at Marlins Field.

--AMDG--