VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia - The Virginia Wesleyan baseball team picked up their first two wins of the season over the Bombers of Ithaca College in the first home series of the 2020 season at Kenneth Perry Field at TowneBank Park in Virginia Beach, VA. The Marlins move to 2-4 on the season while Ithaca is now 0-2.

INSIDE THE SCORE - GAME 1
The game began with a pair of scoreless innings for both teams as the teams got a feel for each other. Ithaca found their way to the board first with a solo run in the top of the third inning on a sacrifice fly to right field that scored the base runner from third. The Marlins answered in the bottom half of the inning with a run of their own as Tyriq Campbell scored on an error by the third baseman knotting the score at one-all. VWU kept Ithaca off the board in the top of the fourth will adding three runs in the bottom half of the inning to go up 4-1 over the Bombers. Jacob Pilarski, Zack Clark, and Campbell all crossed the plate for the Marlins while Zack Burkhart and Dylan Gentry earned the RBI's.

Both squads sat quite in the fifth and VWU added another single run in the bottom half of the sixth courtesy of a Burkhart double that scored Campbell. The Marlins' bats really came to life as the home team posted six runs in the bottom of the seventh taking an 11-1 lead into the final two innings during which they held the Bomber scoreless to pick up their first win of the season. 

A Pilarski double kicked off the seventh inning scoring as he hit in Miles Christian and Austin Obenour. A single by Connor Hall scored another two RBI as Matt Dagostino and Pilarski both crossed home plate. Campbell singled to left field which drove home Hall and Burkhart singled to left to score Campbell for the sixth run of the seventh inning. 

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN LEADERS
The Marlins were led by Tyriq Campbell who tallied four runs on three hits in four at-bats and bringing in one RBI. Zack Burkhart also had a day with three hits in four at-bats that drove in three RBI while pitcher/designated hitter Jacob Pilarski scored twice on three hits during his four at-bats and drove home two RBI. 

Jacob Pilarski (W: 1-1) picked up the win throwing a complete game striking out 16 batters in 31 faced while giving up just one run on three hits and walking one batter. 

ITHACA LEADERS
The Bombers were led by Brendan Ryan with one run on one hit in three at-bats. Matt Wimmer recorded the lone RBI on a sac-fly.

INSIDE THE SCORE - GAME 2
Game two was a much closer contest as the game was decided in the final inning. The game began with one and a half scoreless innings before the Marlins continued their roll from the first game by putting two up in the bottom of the second inning. A single by Dylan Gentry scored runners Connor Hall and Tyriq Campbell while advancing Matt Sinko to second on the play. The game entered a stalemate for the next couple of innings as neither team found the board in the third or fourth but the bottom of the fifth proved to be good for VWU as they added one to their 2-0 lead. Austin Obenour scored on the sac-fly from Jacob Pilarski putting the Marlins ahead 3-0 through five innings. 

The sixth was quite for both teams and Ithaca found some life in the top of the seventh when they scored a pair of runs off back-to-back passed balls to close the VWU lead to one run, 3-2. The Bombers knotted the score at three-all in the top of the eighth, on yet again another passed ball and left two on the bags heading into the final inning and a half. VWU couldn't make something happen in the eighth and held the Bombers off the board in the ninth and scored the walk-off run in the bottom of the ninth as Matt Dagostino singled to right field that scored Miles Christian from second to win the game and sweep the doubleheader against the Bombers.

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN LEADERS
The Marlins were led by Dylan Gentry with three hits in four at-bats and two RBI's. Matt Dagostino tallied two hits in his four at-bats and drove in one RBI while Jacob Pilarski added one RBI in the game. Miles Christian, Austin Obenour, Connor Hall and Tyriq Campbell all crossed the plate for the Marlins in game two. 

Andrew Lowe (W: 1-1) picked up the win pitching 2.1 innings giving up one run on two hits and striking out one. Jay Crusemire threw six innings giving up six hits and striking out nine of his 24 batters faced. 

ITHACA LEADERS
The Bombers were led by Buzz Shirley with three hits in five at-bats. Garret Callaghan, Chris Dietz, and Mike Nauta each scored a run for the Bombers. Matt Chase (L: 0-1) picked up the loss throwing 1.1 innings giving up the game-winning run in the ninth inning. Charlie Hammel threw 7 innings during which he gave up three runs on seven hits, while also tallying three walks and four strikeouts. 

UP NEXT
Virginia Wesleyan returns to action tomorrow Sunday, February 23, when they wrap up the three-game series against Bombers of Ithaca College at 11 AM.