VIRGINIA BEACH -- One spectacular throw turned a Randolph-Macon College baseball rally to ruin on Tuesday.

With three runs scored in the top of the ninth inning, two runners on base, and two outs, Mitchell Keller (Mechanicsville/Atlee) drilled a shot into left field that appeared to keep the R-MC rally rolling. But, as the Yellow Jackets were on the verge of celebrating the game-tying run, and maybe more, the celebration shifted to the other dugout on Marlins Field at Virginia Wesleyan College.

VWC rookie Taylor Erby (Norfolk/Lake Taylor) retrieved the ball in the outfield and delivered a perfect throw to rookie catcher C.J. Lindsay (Remington/Bealeton Liberty) at home plate to put the tag on the Jacket runner, producing the third out to give the host Marlins a thrilling 9-8 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) victory.

Virginia Wesleyan (10-16, 4-7 ODAC) scored eight unanswered runs through the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings to take a 9-5 lead into the top of the ninth inning.  After Tim Benjamin (Glenelg, Md./Glenelg) started R-MC's rally with a single, VWC brought in junior ace pitcher Alex Tucci (Stewartstown, Pa./York Catholic) to take over for senior Brooks Kirby (Warwickshire, United Kingdom/Cobham School).

R-MC (12-9, 7-3 ODAC) kept things going as a single and VWC error loaded the bases. A fielder's choice produce an out at the plate, but a walk sent in a run for the Jackets. Tucci relieved the pressure by striking out the next batter for the second out, but Nate Meiners (Silver Spring, Md./St. John's Prep) kept R-MC alive with a single up the middle to score two runs that cut the VWC lead to 9-8.

Keller followed with his hit and Erby answered with the throw to plate to end the game.

The ninth inning uprising six innings of sporadic offense by the Jackets, who fell 1-2-3 in two innings and managed only four hits in that span.  R-MC was held in check in those innings by the VWC defense and the pitching of senior Reid Hoffler (Chesapeake/Suffolk Nansemond River), roookie Riley Koonce (Virginia Beach/Ocean Lakes), and Kirby.

R-MC used two hits and two Marlin errors to help produce a five run second inning that gave the Jackets a 5-1 lead.  It stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth when Virginia Wesleyan cut the spread to 5-4.  The Marlins used two walks, an RBI-single from Erby, and a two-run single up the middle from rookie Austin Gammon (North Chesterfield/L.C. Bird) to pull close.

After holding R-MC to a single hit in the seventh, the Marlins combined three hits and two R-MC errors to help score three runs for a 7-5 lead. The Marlins allowed just one R-MC hit in the top of the eighth and then increased their lead to 9-5 in the bottom of the inning.  Rookie Justin Erby (Norfolk/Lake Taylor) drew a walk and rookie Nic Kurz (Yorktown/Grafton) singled, setting things up for junior Zach Bach (Virginia Beach/Frank W. Cox) who launched a triple to right center field to score the runs.

Kirby picked up the pitching win, working 1.2 innings and striking out game-high three batters.  He allowed just two hits.  Hoffler was on the mound the longest for the Marlins, pitching 4.2 innings.  He struck out two, walked one, and gave up just two hits.  Rookie Will Hickey (New Hyde Park, N.Y./New Hyde Park) started for VWC and faced 12 batters. 

R-MC also used five pitchers, starting with Daniel Byrd (Chesterfield/Cosby) who lasted three innings.  He struck out one, gave up three hits and one earned run.  Matt Fischgrund (Gloucester/Gloucester) took the loss.  He faced 10 batters, struck out one, walked three, and gave up three hits.  He also gave up three earned runs.

Both teams produced 11 hits.  VWC was led by Kurz, Bach, and Gammon with two hits each. Bryan Miltenberger (Midlothian/Cosby) and Meiners led the Jackets with two hits each.

Virginia Wesleyan returns to competition on Saturday, April 5, in an ODAC doubleheader at Roanoke College beginning at 12 p.m.

--AMDG--