LEXINGTON, Va. -- Senior first baseman Taylor McConnell (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) and sophomore leftfielder James Madden (Dallas, Texas/Highland Park) each hit solo homeruns in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Washington and Lee baseball team to an 8-7 win over ODAC-foe Randolph-Macon in the first game of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Cap'n Dick Smith Field. The Yellow Jackets won the second game, 7-6.

In game one, R-MC (21-15, 11-7) led 6-2 after five and a half innings, but the Generals (18-13-1, 10-8) scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 6-6. Senior shortstop Scott Gosselink (Austin, Texas/St. Stephen's Episcopal) notched a two-run single, junior catcher Jordan Wesley (Winston-Salem, N.C./R.J. Reynolds) had a sacrifice fly and freshman rightfielder Terrence McKelvey (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) collected an RBI single in the frame.

The Yellow Jackets regained the lead at 7-6 in the top of the seventh inning on an RBI single by freshman second baseman Greg Meleski (Weston, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas). McConnell jacked a solo shot to right field to lead off the bottom of the frame to knot the score at 7-7 and then with one out, Madden smacked a walkoff homerun to right field to give W&L the 8-7 victory.

Junior second baseman David Miller (Oak Hill, Va./Oakton) batted 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs, while Gosselink finished 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI. Junior righthander Clayton Edwards (Atlanta, Ga./Westminster) threw the first three innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits, while sophomore lefthander Jeff Pharis (Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass) pitched the final two innings and gave up one earned run on three hits with three strikeouts to pick up the win (1-2).

For R-MC, Meleski finished 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI, while junior first baseman Brian Rogers batted 2-for-2 with a run and an RBI. Senior righthander Travis Beazley (Beaverdam, Va./Patrick Henry) surrendered two earned runs on three hits with three strikeouts in 2.1 innings to take the loss (8-2).

In game two, the Yellow Jackets led 3-2 after three innings, but the Generals tied the game at 3-3 on a solo homerun by senior centerfielder David Mackenzie (Vienna, Va./James Madison) in the bottom of the fourth inning. However, R-MC plated three runs in the top of the sixth, including an RBI double by senior catcher Seth Rapoza (Kill Devil Hills, N.C./Manteo), to regain the advantage at 6-3. W&L responded to even the game at 6-6 with three runs in the bottom of the frame with the tying run scoring on a double by Miller.

The Yellow Jackets scored one run in the top of the seventh on another run scoring double by Rapoza to grab a 7-6 lead. In the bottom of the eighth, W&L had the bases loaded with one out, but Gosselink popped out to the shortstop in shallow left field and junior pinch runner Ray Sweeney (Kennett Square, Pa./Unionville) was thrown out at home trying to score the tying run.

Edwards batted 2-for-4 with a double, a run and two RBI, while Mackenzie went 2-for-3 with a double, a run and two RBI. Sophomore lefthander John Parker (Lawrence, Kan./Lawrence) pitched the first five innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts. Freshman righthander Andrew Henderson (Atlanta, Ga./Pace) gave up one earned run in one inning to suffer the loss (1-2).

For R-MC, Rapoza finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs. Sophomore righthander Bo Garner (Suffolk, Va./Nanesemond-Suffolk Academy) gave up six runs, five earned, on nine hits in six innings to earn the win (4-3).

W&L returns to the diamond on Thursday in the ODAC Tournament at Lynchburg City Stadium. The opponent and time are still to be determined.

-- GENERALS --