The Virginia Wesleyan Baseball team (20-16, 10-10 ODAC) split a doubleheader at Roanoke, clinching the No. 6 seed in the ODAC Championship tournament with a 5-4 win in game one before dropping the nightcap, 21-2.
Game One: Virginia Wesleyan 5, Roanoke 4
On the mound,
Jacob Lawrence did well pitched 5.0 innings, allowed 10 hits, three runs, and had four strikeouts.
Will Payne came in relief and pitched 2.0 innings, allowed one hit, zero runs, and had one strikeout.
Mason Sylvest finished the game to earn the save, pitching 2.0 innings, allowed three hits, one run, and recording three strikeouts.
Marcel Whitfield led the Marlins offensively as he went 3-for-5 with a homer, scored two runs, and had two RBI.
Landon Carraway was 3-for-5 with a double, scored one run, and had two RBI and teammate
Ryan Dobrinsky was 3-for-4 at bat with two RBI.
Virginia Wesleyan came out aggressive and capitalized early, plating three runs in the opening inning to take control.
Joshua Jones led things off with a single and moved to third when
Marcell Whitfield followed with a base hit to right. After a groundout pushed Whitfield into scoring position,
Landon Carraway delivered a clutch double into the left-center gap, bringing home both runners for a 2-0 lead. Moments later,
Ryan Dobrinsky lined a single to left that scored Carraway, who advanced on a throwing error, giving the Marlins a 3-0 advantage before Roanoke recorded the third out.
After Roanoke chipped away with a pair of runs in the middle innings, the Marlins manufactured another key run in the fifth.
Nick Valentin sparked the inning with a double down the right field line and moved to third on a single from Carraway. Dobrinsky again came through, this time with a bunt single that allowed Valentin to cross the plate. A throwing error on the play helped move runners into scoring position, extending the lead to 4-2.
Roanoke answered with a run in the sixth to make it a one-run game, but Virginia Wesleyan created breathing room in the ninth. Whitfield stepped to the plate and drove a solo home run to left field, pushing the lead to 5-3 and proving to be the difference.
The Maroons made things interesting in the bottom half, scoring once and loading pressure onto the Marlins' bullpen, but
Mason Sylvest shut the door to secure the 5-4 victory.
Game Two: Roanoke 21, Virginia Wesleyan 2
Virginia Wesleyan struck first in the nightcap, once again using power to jump ahead early.
Joshua Jones drew a leadoff walk, setting the stage for
Marcell Whitfield, who launched a two-run home run to left field to give the Marlins a quick 2-0 lead.
The momentum, however, shifted immediately. Roanoke responded with three runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead, taking advantage of timely hitting and defensive miscues to flip the score to 3-2.
The game broke open in the second inning, when Roanoke erupted for 12 runs. The inning featured a barrage of hits, including run-scoring singles, a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch, extra-base hits, and a three-run home run, as the Maroons continuously extended the inning and capitalized on nearly every opportunity to push the lead into double digits.
Roanoke added another run in the third inning on a sacrifice fly and continued to build its advantage in the fifth. A combination of walks, defensive errors, and a two-run double brought in five more runs, stretching the lead to 21-2.
Virginia Wesleyan was unable to respond offensively after the first inning, managing just a handful of baserunners over the final six innings as Roanoke's pitching staff kept the Marlins in check to close out the run-rule victory.
