Virginia Wesleyan battled back late but couldn't overcome a decisive inning from Hampden-Sydney, falling 11-8 on the road.
Matthew Weber delivered a steady start on the mound, going six innings while allowing three runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts. At the plate,
Nick Valentin led the charge by going 2-for-4 with two runs scored, an RBI, a walk, and a double, while
James Tassone turned in a three-hit performance, finishing 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
Ryan Dobrinsky added to the effort with two RBIs, going 1-for-3
The Marlins broke through in the middle innings, finally cracking the scoreboard after patiently working a baserunner aboard.
Nick Valentin drew a walk to spark the rally, and after advancing into scoring position, he came home on a well-executed sacrifice bunt by
Ty James, cutting the deficit to 3-1. Even as Hampden-Sydney looked to keep pressure on, the Marlins kept the game within reach.
Virginia Wesleyan chipped away again later, manufacturing another run with timely small ball. A hit-by-pitch and a clutch single from James Tassone set the table before Ryan Dobrinsky delivered with a sacrifice bunt that brought a runner home, tightening the game to 3-2. But in the bottom half, Hampden-Sydney answered with a big swing inning, capitalizing on traffic and delivering a grand slam as part of a seven-run surge to stretch the lead.
Refusing to go quietly, the Marlins mounted an explosive rally in the eighth. Gino Meienschein ignited the inning with a double, and Valentin followed by driving him in with a double of his own. Moments later, Jason Caccavaro ripped a double down the line to plate another run. With the pressure building, Tassone came through again with an RBI single, while aggressive baserunning and a Hampden-Sydney error allowed another run to cross. Dobrinsky added to the surge with an RBI single, and Darius Walston kept the line moving by reaching on an error that brought in yet another run. Joshua Jones capped the six-run outburst with a run-scoring single, suddenly pulling Virginia Wesleyan within two at 10-8.
Hampden-Sydney managed to answer with a run in the bottom half, extending the margin just enough to hold off the late charge.
