The Virginia Wesleyan University baseball team (12-18, 8-14 ODAC) swept Roanoke on Senior Day, winning game one 14-3 and winning game two 12-2.
Before the start of the game, the Virginia Wesleyan Baseball Program honored its nine-member senior class, including Clay Clarke, Blake Mitnick, Sal Lettieri, Josh Goodrich, John Bastiaans, Connor Mock, Noah Burton, Nick Sylvester, and JR Talbert.
Game One:
John Bastiaans led the Marlins going 4-for-5 with a two-run home run, four RBI, and a stolen base. Nick Sylvester was on fire as he went 2-for-2, with a double, and had four RBI, and teammate Marcell Whitfield was 3-for-5 with a double, scored two runs, and had one RBI.
Jack McDowell earned the win on the mound as he pitched 6.0 innings, allowed five hits, two runs, and had four strikeouts.
Roanoke struck first in the top of the first inning, scoring two runs to take a 2-0 lead. The Marlins responded in the bottom of the third, starting with Marcell Whitfield who flied out to center field. John Bastiaans then singled up the middle, and Nathan Bryant followed with a lineout to third. With two outs, Nick Valentin hit a single down the right field line, advancing Bastiaans to third. Nick Sylvester then doubled to left-center, driving in both Bastiaans and Valentin to tie the game at 2-2. Joshua Jones continued the rally with a double to left-center, bringing Sylvester home, and the Marlins now led 3-2.
The offense kept rolling in the fourth for Virginia Wesleyan. Keegan Megaro singled to left, then Marcell Whitfield doubled to left-center, driving in Megaro to extend the lead to 4-2. Bastiaans stepped up next, launching a two-run homer to center field, scoring Whitfield, and the Marlins were now up 6-2. Nathan Bryant bunted for a single, and Nick Valentin added to the pressure with a single to left. Nick Sylvester singled to second, scoring Bryant, and Valentin crossed the plate on a wild pitch, making it 8-2.
In the fifth, Mathews walked to get things started. Megaro grounded out to first, advancing Mathews to second. A wild pitch then moved him to third, but the Marlins were unable to capitalize further as Whitfield grounded out to shortstop. With two outs, Bastiaans singled to right, driving in Mathews for a 9-2 lead.
The sixth inning was another offensive explosion for Virginia Wesleyan. Sylvester was hit by a pitch to lead off, and Jones followed by getting hit as well, placing runners at first and second. Clay Clarke then singled, and an error by the left fielder allowed both Clarke and Jones to advance, while Sylvester and Jones scored on the misplay. The Marlins now held a commanding 11-2 lead. Mathews added to the damage with a single to left-center, scoring Clarke. Whitfield singled to left, moving Mathews to second. Next, Bastiaans kept the offense going with an RBI single, advancing Whitfield to third and scoring Mathews. Bastiaans stole second, and Valentin walked to load the bases. Sylvester then walked, driving in Whitfield, making it 14-2, before the inning ended.
Game Two:
John Bastiaans led the team in game two, going 4-for-5 with a double, scored three runs, with two RBI, and a stolen base. Joshua Jones was 2-for-3 and recorded a team-high three RBI. Nick Sylvester was 2-for-3 with a double, scored one run, and had one RBI.
Sean Keener tallied the win as he went 4.0 innings, allowed four hits, two runs, and struck out five.
Virginia Wesleyan wasted no time in game two, with John Bastiaans then singled to center, and Matt Smith walked, advancing Bastiaans to second. Nick Valentin popped up to second for the second out. However, Nick Sylvester stepped up with a single up the middle, driving in Bastiaans and moving Smith to second. After a wild pitch advanced both runners, Joshua Jones singled to shortstop to score both Smith and Sylvester, and Clay Clarke added to the offense with a single to right, bringing in Jones for a 3-0 lead.
The Marlins kept their momentum going in the second inning. Keegan Megaro doubled down the left-field line to start the frame. Marcell Whitfield walked, and a passed ball advanced Megaro to third. John Bastiaans walked, putting runners at first and second. Matt Smith popped up to second, but Nick Valentin got a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Megaro, while Whitfield advanced to third. Bastiaans stole second, and Sylvester walked to load the bases. Jones then singled to right-center, driving in two more runs, as Sylvester advanced to third and Bastiaans and Whitfield crossed the plate to make it 6-0.
The Maroons got on the board in the top of the fourth, scoring two runs to cut VWU's lead to 6-2.
Virginia Wesleyan continued to build on its lead in the seventh. Bryce Folmar led off with a single to right, and Whitfield was hit by a pitch. Folmar advanced to second on the hit-by-pitch, and Bastiaans doubled to right, scoring Folmar. Smith then singled up the middle, bringing in Whitfield and moving Bastiaans to third. Nick Valentin followed with a single down the left-field line, scoring Bastiaans. Sylvester grounded into a double play, allowing Valentin to advance to second, while Smith scored to make it 10-2.
The Marlins added even more runs in the eighth. Owen Mathews walked, and Folmar singled through the left side to advance him to second. Whitfield was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Virginia Wesleyan. Bastiaans then singled up the middle, driving in Mathews and moving the other runners into scoring position to force a pitching change. Toby Rhodes pinch-hit for Valentin, reaching on a fielder's choice that scored Folmar to seal the sweep over Roanoke.
