ROCKY MOUNT, North Carolina - The Virginia Wesleyan baseball team dropped both games in the doubleheader against the Battling Bishops of N.C. Wesleyan College on Sunday, February 28, in Rocky Mount, NC. The Marlins drop to 0-3 on the season while the Battling Bishops are 6-1.

GAME 1
INSIDE THE SCORE
The game began with the the Battling Bishops taking an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. NC Wesleyan added one run in each of the next three innings to go ahead 7-0 over the Marlins who had left three batters stranding on the bags.

VWU finally found the scoreboard in the top of the fifth inning as Connor Hall crossed home plate following a sac fly by Ryan Ballard. NCWC responded in the bottom half of the inning to go ahead 9-1. 

The Marlins brought home two runs on bases loaded hit by pitch and walk situations. Two more runs scored on a Ballard double to left field sending Lucas Bosiger and Connor Hall across home plate for the final runs of the game. Neither team scored in their final at-bat opportunity as the Bishops took game one 9-5.

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN LEADERS
The Marlins were led by Ryan Ballard with three RBI on two hits in his two at-bats. Connor Hall crossed home plate twice to lead the Marlins scoring. Robert Cook (L: 0-1) threw 2.1 innings giving up six runs on six hits and struke out four batters.

NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN LEADERS
The Battling Bishops were led by Davie Morgan with three RBI on two hits while crossing home once in three at-bats. Brad Pennington homered for the Bishops. Payne Stolsworth (W: 1-0) pitch 4.2 innings giving up one run on two hits while striking out four.

GAME 2
INSIDE THE SCORE
The game began with the NC Wesleyan finding the opening run in the bottom of the first. VWU responded two innings later to take their first lead of the day putting two runs up in the top of the third. Jake Ness scored on a sac fly by Chase James and Chris Mitchell followed the next at-bat as Matt Sinko doubled to center field. 

The Battling Bishops knotted the score in the bottom of the third on a triple that drove in a run. Virginia Wesleyan reclaimed the lead in the top of the fourth on a solo home run by Matt Culbert. NCWC tied the game again in the bottom of the fifth as a run came home on a wild pitch. The Battling Bishops took control of the game in the bottom of the sixth as they posted six runs to go ahead 9-3. VWU added one more run in the top of the seventh on a home run by Lucas Bosiger but were shut down on the next two batters securing the win 9-4.

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN LEADERS
The Marlins were led by Matt Culbert and Lucas Bosiger with a home run each. Bosiger and Isaiah Jones each tallied two hits. Albert Clark threw 4.1 innings giving up three runs on three hits. Braxton Downum pitched one-third of an inning giving the Bishops four runs on two hits. 

NORTH CAROLINA WESLEYAN LEADERS
The Battling Bishops were led by Tyson Bass with two runs on one hit in three at-bats while driving in two RBI. Drew Tubb threw five innings giving up three runs on eight hits. Cj Dibenedetto (W: 1-0) threw two innings giving up a run and a hit. 

UP NEXT
Virginia Wesleyan returns to action on Wednesday, March 3, when the Marlins travel to Salisbury, MD, to take on the Sea Gulls of Salisbury University. First pitch is scheduled for 2 PM.