Marlins Conclude ODAC Season with Split, Earn No. 5 Seed in Tourney

HARRISONBURG, Va. -- The Virginia Wesleyan College baseball team lost a lead late in game one, but held on for a 15-11 victory over Eastern Mennonite University in game two that ensured the fifth seed in the upcoming ODAC tournament.

A sweep on Saturday would have ensured the Marlins would have received the No. 4 seed, but a split left VWC tied with Hampden-Sydney for the fourth spot. H-SC and VWC split during the regular season, requiring the second step in the conference's tiebreaker to snap the deadlock. That second step favored the Tigers as H-SC swept Randolph-Macon and Washington and Lee while the Marlins took just one of two in the matchups with R-MC and W&L.

Game 1: 3-2 Eastern Mennonite Victory

The Marlins scored the first lead of the game in the fourth inning as Nik Milvo connected for a solo shot to right field.

Eastern Mennonite tied it up in the bottom of the sixth on a Kyle Salladay RBI single before VWC regained the lead once again on a Justin Erby single that plated Corey King.

The 2-1 lead lasted until the eighth inning when the Royals managed to get to Marlin closer Riley Koonce for a pair of runs. With two outs and a runner on third, Kyle Armstrong grounded a ball up the middle, but a fielding error allowed Zach Roberts to score from third. Ryan Hedrick plated Armstrong with a double in the subsequent at bat for the winning run.

Game 2: 15-11 Virginia Wesleyan Victory

Virginia Wesleyan jumped out to an 11-0, sixth inning lead in the second game before the Royals rallied back.

The Marlins scored four runs in the first, highlighted by a two-RBI Brandon Kussmaul single and Milvo triple that plated one more.

VWC scored six more in the fifth to pull away. Back-to-back hits merited a call to the bullpen. Kussmaul greeted the new pitcher with another two-run single for the 6-0 lead. A single and a walk loaded the bases for C.J. Lindsay who singled home Kussmaul and Taylor Erby for an 8-0 margin. An RBI single by Milvo and sacrifice fly by Matt Murray accounted for the final two runs.

Leading 11-8 heading, the Marlins plated four much needed runs in the top of ninth making the three that EMU scored in the bottom of the ninth just a short-lived rally.

Kussmaul drove in four runs on the day while Milvo produced three RBI.

Virginia Wesleyan (18-13/12-8), the No. 2 seed in the ODAC tournament, will faced No. 2-seeded Randolph-Macon College on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. The tournament will be held at Lynchburg City Stadium, home of the Lynchburg Hillcats, Advanced-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.