The Virginia Wesleyan baseball team (4-4, 0-2 ODAC) triumphed 8-3 against the Southern Virginia Knights.
Edgar Harwood went 1-for-4 with a two run homerun, scored one run, and registered two RBI.
Clay Clarke went 1-for-3 with one run and tallied two RBI.
Ty James went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Jacob Lawrence recorded the win with one strikeout and only allowed hits and two runs.
Ryan Cowell was awarded the save with three strikeouts and did not allow a single hit or run.
Southern Virginia scored two runs in the bottom of the 1st inning to take an early lead over the Marlins. At the top of the second,
Gino Meienschein walked to first; and then
Ty James walked, advancing Meienschein to second base, who then advanced to third on a throwing error and scored on a wild pitch.
After two scoreless innings, Southern Virginia scored in the bottom of the fifth, which stretched their lead to 3-1. Neither team scored in the sixth; but it was the Marlins who found success in the top of the seventh.
Ty James started the inning with a double to right center field.
Cameron Mailloux then doubled down the left field line, sending James home for a run and bringing the Marlins just a point away from the Knights. Despite batter
Jason Caccavaro's out at first, Mailloux ran to third. Next,
Clay Clarke singled up the middle, scoring
Cameron Mailloux to tie the game at 3-3.
Edgar Harwood continued the Marlin dominance with a home run that also scored
Clay Clarke to bring the score to 5-3 with the Marlins in the lead.
Nick Valentin singled through the left side to begin the eighth inning of play for the Marlins, and then he stole second. When
Gino Meienschein flied out to right field, Valentin advanced another base.
Ty James followed with a single through the right side, sending Valentin home, which put the Marlins up 6-3.
Joey Leoni pinch ran for
Ty James and stole second.
Keegan Megaro singled to left field, which advanced
Joey Leoni to third; and then Megaro stole second.
Cameron Mailloux was intentionally walked by the Knights, which loaded all the bases.
Marcell Whitfield executed a sacrifice fly which scored
Joey Leoni to stretch the Marlin lead to 7-3. VWU made quick work of Southern Virginia in the bottom of the eighth.
The Marlins solidified their lead at the top of the ninth with another run by
John Bastiaans who was hit was a pitch, advanced on a single by
Nick Valentin, advanced to third when
Gino Meienschein walked, and made it home when
Joey Leoni flied out to center field. The Marlins did not allow any runs by the Knights in the bottom of the ninth to secure their 8-3 win.
Next, the Marlins will face Shenandoah University in a double-header on Saturday, March 15 at 12pm and 3pm.
