EMORY, Va. -- Virginia Wesleyan College's baseball Marlins continued their move forward with a pair of Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) victories over Emory & Henry College's Wasps on Saturday.

The Marlins combined balanced offense with steady defense and pitching to record a sweep, 10-3 and 8-4, extend winning ways to six victories in the last eight outings.  VWC is now 9-13 overall and 3-5 in the ODAC.  Emory & Henry is now 5-5 in the ODAC and 8-11 overall.

Virginia Wesleyan never trailed during the doubleheader, bounding out to a 7-0 lead in the first game and a 5-2 lead after five innings in the second game. Rookie Nick Kurz led off the first inning of the opener with a single and rookies C.J. Lindsay (Remington/Bealeton Liberty) and Taylor Erby (Norfolk/Lake Taylor) followed with singles, before rookie Ty Boothe (Virginia Beach/Floyd E. Kellam) belted a two-run double through the left side. VWC scored four runs to take the lead for good.

Junior pitcher Alex Tucci (Stewartstown, Pa./York Catholic) improved to 3-1 for the Marlins in the opener, working through six innings and striking out five.  He walked three and allowed three hits and three runs. Brooks Kiriby (Warwickshire, United Kingdom/Cobham School) picked up his second save, entering the game in the seventh inning and holding the Wasps scoreless.  He struck out two, walked two, and gave up two hits.

Senior Brett Sutryk, Kurz, Lindsay, and Boothe all belted two hits each for VWC.  Junior Zach Bach (Virginia Beach/Frank W. Cox) hit a double each.  The Marlins outhit Emory & Henry 12-5.  Matthew Whisnant (Connelly Springs, N.C./East Burke) led the Wasps with two hits each.

Rookie Will Hickey (East Hyde Park, N.Y./East Hyde Park) picked up his second victory in as many starts, guiding VWC to the win in the second game.  He surrendered seven hits in five innings of work, and struck out two batters, walked two, and gave up two earned runs.  Dylan Stoskus (Ashburn/Arlington Bishop O'Connell) finished the game and earned a save.  He struck out five of the 19 batters he faced.

Virginia Wesleyan recorded an 11-10 advantage in hits in the second game, led by Taylor Erby with three.  Caleb Rotton (Boiling Springs, S.C./Boiling Springs) and Connor Wise (Cookeville, Tenn./Cookeville) led Emory & Henry with two hits each.

Sutryk, Erby, and Boothe all recorded four hits each in the doubleheader for Virginia Wesleyan and Lindsay and Kurz finished with three each.

Virginia Wesleyan returns to competition on Sunday, March 23, hosting Tufts University in non-conference play beginning at 2 p.m. at Marlins Field.

--AMDG--