Baseball Drops 12-8 Slugfest to Mary Washington

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- The Virginia Wesleyan College baseball team rallied from an early 7-1 deficit, but ultimately fell 12-8 to the University of Mary Washington in non-conference action Monday.

The Eagles jumped out to a quick start, scoring four runs in the first and three in the second while chasing a pair of Marlin pitchers from the game.

The Marlins held Mary Washington scoreless for the next three innings, scoring a run in the fourth on a Randy Neisz single to cut the deficit to five runs, 7-2. Jordan Sprouse put the ball in play to allow another run to score before a Corey King two-RBI double made the score 7-5.

Glen Pizzanello stalled the powerful Mary Washington lineup, holding the Eagles scoreless over 3 2/3 hitless inning while striking out three.

Virginia Wesleyan trailed 8-5 in the top of the seventh when the Marlins tied the contest, completing the Marlin rally. Nik Milvo doubled with one out, advancing to third on a Brandon Kussmaul single. Taylor Erby doubled Milvo home, before an error on a Neisz ground ball allowed Kussmaul to score to cut the gap to one run. C.J. Lindsay capped off the inning with a single that plated Erby.

Mary Washington scored two runs in the seventh and two in the eighth to pull away from the Marlins. David Slupek highlighted the Eagle surge with a solo homerun in the seventh that put the Eagles in front 10-8.

Neisz went 3-for-5 for the Marlins with two RBI and a run scored while Kussmaul and Erby each scored a pair.

Paul McClure took the win for Mary Washington (22-14) while Matthew Isaacs was saddled with the loss for Virginia Wesleyan.

Virginia Wesleyan (16-10/10-5) hosts No. 5 Randolph-Macon (23-5-1/9-5) for an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) contest Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.