Rally Falls Short for No. 5 Marlins in ODAC Baseball Tourney

LYNCHBURG, Va. -- The No. 5-seeded Virginia Wesleyan baseball team took a 9-8 lead in the seventh inning with four runs, but could not hold on to the lead as No. 2 Randolph-Macon scored three in the bottom of the frame to win 11-9 on the opening day of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) baseball tournament.

The Marlins trailed 8-5 at the start of the seventh when Justin Erby singled in front of back-to-back walks to load the bases against the Randolph-Macon bullpen.

Taylor Erby was hit by a pitch to close the gap to two runs, forcing another pitching change for the Yellow Jackets.

A Neisz RBI groundout plated Deon Hammond to cut the deficit to one. C.J. Lindsay singled through the left side to play Taylor Erby and Brandon Kussmaul to snag the lead for Virginia Wesleyan.

Randolph-Macon took advantage of several Marlin miscues in the bottom of the frame to take the lead for good as only one of three runs were earned. Christian Sanderson singled home Herminio Azor to tie the game. A Travis Lodge RBI single that plated Sanderson provided the insurance for Randolph-Macon.

Justin Erby and Hammond had two hits and two runs each.

No. 5 Virginia Wesleyan (18-14) plays No. 6 Bridgewater College in an elimination game Friday at 11 a.m. No. 2 Randolph-Macon will face the winner of No. 3 Washington and Lee and No. 4 Hampden-Sydney at 2:30 p.m. Friday.