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Box Score 2 Marlins Split with EMU in ODAC Opener
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.- The Virginia Wesleyan College baseball team coasted to a 13-0 shutout in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader with Eastern Mennonite University before a strong EMU ninth led the Royals to a 5-3 game two victory.
Game 1: 13-0 Virginia Wesleyan Victory
Virginia Wesleyan started off the game with a first-inning run to put the pressure on the Royals. Justin Erby and Brandon Kussmaul had back-to-back singles to right field to lead off the game. Erby advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a Randy Neisz fielder's choice.
The Marlins scored three in the bottom of the second, capitalized by Kussmaul's RBI triple that plated Erby.
Erby led off the fourth with a single, looking to advance the Marlins 4-0 lead. Kussmaul tripled again to center field to plate Erby for a 5-0 edge. Deon Hammond grounded out to shortstop two batters later to score Kussmaul.
Erby continued to impact the EMU pitching staff, homering to lead off the sixth for a 7-0 lead.
Virginia Wesleyan posted three runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth to provide the final margin. Erby homered for the second time off the EMU reliever in the bottom of the seventh, scoring Jordy Ellis and Brady Fallon.
Austin Obenour highlighted the Marlin eighth inning with a two-RBI pinch-hit triple down the left-field line.
Erby went 5-for-6 in the first game with five runs scored and five RBI, including the two homers. Kussmaul and Hammond had three hits each. Patrick Monteverde (1-1) threw a complete game three-hitter, striking out eight while walking just two.
Game 2: 5-3 Eastern Mennonite Victory
The Royals started of the second game with three runs in the first inning. Joe Hall reached on a fielder's choice, stole second, and then later scored on a Damon Frazier single to right field. Ryan Hedrick singled through the left side, advancing Frazier to second. Kyle Mathews doubled to deep center field scoring Frazier and Hedrick for the 3-0 margin.
The Marlins responded to the Royals in the bottom of the fifth inning as Corey King connected for a two-out single to left field, the Marlins' first hit of game two. He moved to second on a wild pitch, racing home on a Jordan Sprouse single up the middle to make it 3-1.
VWC rallied to tie the contest in the bottom of the eighth after three walks loaded the bases with one out. Taylor Erby singled into the right-center field gap, scoring Justin Erby and Sprouse to tie the contest. Another walk loaded the bases, but Marlin reliever Joe Hall managed to strike out the next two Marlins to get out of the inning without giving up the lead.
The Royals set the tone early in the ninth when a double, bunt single, and fielder's choice loaded the bases with no outs. The Marlins induced a ground ball to the shortstop to get the runner at home for the first out, but Frazier followed with a single down the left-field line to score Hall and Stanley.
Jake Brown entered in the ninth, setting down the Marlins in order to earn his first save.
Taylor Erby had two RBI and a stolen base in the game. Starter Chance Pauley allowed three earned runs in 5.1 innings with three strikeouts.
The Marlins (6-7/1-1) will travel to Washington and Lee University (10-5/2-0) on Saturday, March 18 for another ODAC doubleheader scheduled for a noon first pitch.
