The Virginia Wesleyan University baseball team (2-2) defeated Regent University 10-9 in the tenth inning with a walk-off home run from
Gino Meienschein.
Gino Meienschein led the offense, going 3-for-5 at the plate, with two home runs and six RBI.
Darius Walston was 1-for-3 and scored one run.
Matthew Weber recorded the win as he came in the top of the tenth inning, allowed zero runs, zero hits, and had only one walk.
Mason Sylvest did well in relief as he pitched 1.0 innings, allowed one run on one hit, and tallied a team-high three strikeouts.
Regent struck first with three runs in the top of the first inning to take an early 3-0 lead.
Trailing 3-0, Virginia Wesleyan got on the board in the bottom of the second.
Darius Walston led off with a single to give the Marlins a baserunner.
Noah Burton followed with a sacrifice bunt that moved Walston into scoring position. On the play, a throwing error by Regent's first baseman allowed Walston to advance to third. He came all the way home, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
After Regent extended its lead to 7-1, scoring two runs in the fifth and sixth innings. However, the Marlins responded in the bottom of the seventh.
Landon Carraway worked a leadoff walk and later scored when
Gino Meienschein delivered an RBI single, trimming the margin to 7-2. Meienschein and
Matthew Weber executed a double steal to put runners in scoring position.
Ty James followed with a productive groundout to first, bringing Weber home to make it 7-3.
Down 8-3 entering the bottom of the eighth, the Marlins mounted a game-changing rally.
Israel Dozier drew a leadoff walk, and
Jaxon Powell was hit by a pitch to put two aboard. After a walk to
Bryce Folmar loaded the bases,
Nathan Bryant came through with a bases-loaded walk. That forced in Dozier to make it 8-4.
That set the stage for Meienschein. With two outs and the bases still loaded, Meiensche crushed a grand slam to left field, clearing the bases and tying the game at 8-8 in electrifying fashion. Bryant, Folmar, and
Frankie Jones all scored ahead of him as the Marlins erased a five-run deficit in one swing.
Regent briefly regained the lead with a run at the top of the ninth, making it 9-8. The Marlins answered immediately as Dozier reached on an error and advanced into scoring position. After
Owen Mathews singled and stole second, and Folmar worked a walk, the Marlins again loaded the bases. With two outs, a wild pitch allowed Dozier to race home from third, tying the game at 9-9 and sending the contest into extra innings.
After holding the Royals scoreless in the top of the 10th, the Marlins wasted no time finishing the comeback. Leading off the bottom half, Meienschein stepped to the plate and once again delivered. He launched a solo home run to seal the 10-9 victory.
