HAMPTON, Va. -- Hits were there Monday for the Virginia Wesleyan College baseball team, but runs did not follow as the Marlins dropped a 7-0 non-conference decision to the host Builders of The Apprentice School at War Memorial Stadium.

Virginia Wesleyan (12-21) left runners stranded in six innings, including a bases-loaded sitution in the top of the seventh.  With two outs recorded, rookie C.J. Lindsay (Remington/Bealeton Liberty) walked and junior Scott Montgomery (Virginia Beach/Tallwood) singled to center to keep the Marlins alive.

Apprentice removed Taylor Gomer (Smithfield/Isle of Wight) from the mound at that point and brought in Colton Copeland (Windsor/Windsor) to try to snuff out the threat. But, rookie Ty Boothe (Virginia Beach/Floyd E. Kellam) kept things moving when he reached base safely on a fielder's choice. A simple ground out to first base followed howeve, keeping the Marlins of the scoreboard.

Apprentice (23-11) scored once in the first inning and gained some breathing room with a three-run third, the latter helped by a pair of hits and two VWC errors.  The Builders scored again in the sixth and tacked on two more in the seventh.

Seven Marlins took the mound for Virginia Wesleyan, with starter Riley Koonce (Virginia Beach/Ocean Lakes) taking loss and falling to 1-1.  He pitched two innings, walked two and gave up two hits and one earned run. 

Gomer recorded the win for Apprentice, improving to 5-2.  He struck out two, walked two, and allowed six hits and no earned runs in 6.2 innings on the mound.

Junior Zach Bach (Virginia Beach/Frank W. Cox) topped VWC hitting with a 3-for-4 showing, followed by Montgomery with two hits.  Rookie Clay Walker (South Hill/Park View) stroked a double.

Brock Harris (Scottsville/Fluvanna) and Zach Harding (Spotsylvania/Riverbend) topped Apprentice's nine-hit offense with two hits each.

Virginia Wesleyan competes again on Wednesday, April 16, in Old Dominion Athletic Conference action at Hampden-Sydney College at 4 p.m.  The Marlins close out the regular season on Saturday, April 19, in Senior Day competition hosting the Generals of Washington and Lee University in an ODAC doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.

--AMDG--