VIRGINIA BEACH -- Matt Murray connected for two home runs in a four-hit total Saturday to lead Virginia Wesleyan College's baseball Marlins to a decisive 8-0 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) victory over the Royals of Eastern Mennonite University at Marlins Field.

Murray's hits were part of a 16-hit outburst by the Marlins (15-11, 14-6), who clinched the No. 2 seed in the upcoming ODAC championship tournament with the win.  It marks VWC's highest seed since 2010. EMU (16-16, 10-10) came back to salvage a split with a 6-3 win in the second game.

A junior from Nottingham, Pennsylvania (Solanco) Murray finished 4-for-4 at the plate in the first game, knocking out a pair of singles to go with his homers, the latter two hits driving in three runs. His effort was part of an impressive offensive showing by the Marlins, who received hits from eight batters in the starting lineup.  Senior Zach Bach (Virginia Beach/Frank W. Cox) connected for a double and single and senior Jordan Miller (Chesapeake/Grassfield) and sophomores Justin Erby (Norfolk/Lake Taylor), Taylor Erby (Norfolk/Lake Taylor), and Nik Milvo (Norfolk/Chesapeake Indian River) all hit two singles each.

Murray belted his first four-bagger in the bottom of the first to put the Marlins into a 1-0 lead. VWC added another run in the fourth when sophomore C.J. Lindsay (Remington/Bealeton Liberty)recorded an RBI-single, scoring Murray who led off the inning with a single.

EMU managed only two hits through the first five innings, held in check by the pitching of junior Sean Greiser (Virginia Beach/Floyd E. Kellam), who struck out seven batters in the five innings. Greiser, who improved to 5-1, pitched seven innings total and struck out nine batters, before Riley Koonce (Virginia Beach/Ocean Lakes) and Austin Gammon (North Chesterfield/L.C. Bird) pitched an inning each in relief. The trip allowed EMU just three singles.

VWC pulled away with three-run sixth inning, which included a Bach RBI-double and sacrifice flies from Miller and Lindsay, and opened up an 8-0 lead with three runs in the seventh. VWC recorded five hits in the seventh, including a two-run homer from Murray.

Four pitchers worked for the Royals, starting with Kyle Armstrong who dropped to 4-2 with the loss. The quartet combined to strike out two batters.

Virginia Wesleyan led 3-2 after six innings in the second game, helped by a two-run sixth inning. Lindsay led off the inning with a double and scored on a Bach single to center field. EMU moved in front in the top of the eighth inning however, scoring three times to move in front 5-3.  The Royals tacked on another run in the top of the ninth with the help of a single and Marlin error.

EMU finished with an 8-7 advantage in hits, led by Justin Rodriguez (Miramar, Fla./Monsignor Edward Pace) with a trio of doubles and Patrick Love (Bedford/Staunton River) with two doubles and a single.  Bach led VWC with two hits.

Virginia Wesleyan returns to competition on Monday, April 20, playing at noon at Marymount University in a non-conference contest.

--AMDG--