LYNCHBURG, Va. -- The Washington and Lee baseball team used a six-run seventh inning to secure a 9-2 victory in the nightcap of a doubleheader with Lynchburg and earn a split with the Hornets on Saturday afternoon at Fox Field.

W&L dropped game one, 3-1, as LC (6-3, 2-1 ODAC) senior Connor Thompson allowed just one unearned run on five hits over seven innings with two walks and five strikeouts to earn the win (1-1).

The Generals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when senior second baseman John Ditore (Seattle, Wash./Bishop Blanchet) singled and then advanced to third on a fielder's choice and a throwing error before senior first baseman Hunter Serenbetz (Stamford, Conn./Taft) lifted a sacrifice fly to centerfield.

LC took a 2-1 lead on a two-run single by junior outfielder Mike Walters and the Hornets added an insurance run in the sixth inning.

Senior Chuck Davidson (Winnetka, Ill./New Trier) took the loss (0-2) as he allowed three runs on five hits and five walks with five strikeouts in six innings of work. Ditore finished game one 3-for-5 at the plate with a run scored and junior rightfielder Anthony Cardona (Lower Gwynned, Pa./Chestnut Hill) added two hits in four at-bats.

In game two, the Generals received seven strong innings from sophomore Roger Strong (Spencerport, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit) and tallied six runs in the seventh inning to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 7-2 lead en route to the 9-2 win.

Sophomore centerfielder Mike Decembrino (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) started the rally in the seventh inning with an RBI single that scored senior third baseman Jim Plantholt (Pylesville, Md./North Harford). First-year shortstop Jonathan Stutts (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Country Day) followed with a sacrifice fly to score sophomore leftfielder C.J. Thompson (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Nease) and put W&L up 3-2. Ditore added an RBI double, Serenbetz a two-RBI single and Plantholt an RBI single to cap the scoring in the seventh inning.

Serenbetz and Plantholt each had RBI base hits in the ninth inning to account for the final 9-2 score.

Strong allowed just two runs on three hits and a walk while striking out six to win his first game of the season (1-0). Junior Gregg Laswell (Houston, Texas/Memorial) pitched the final two innings and did not allow a base runner while striking out three.

Plantholt finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored to lead the Generals. Serenbetz added two hits in three at-bats with a pair of RBI and a double. Decembrino finished 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI and Ditore continued his hot hitting with a 2-for-5 showing, including a double, a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base. Ditore is now 9-for-15 (.600) in his last three games.

Junior catcher Chris Colquhoun and sophomore shortstop Richard Palase were both 1-for-3 with a run scored for LC. Colquhoun added one RBI.

Senior Bryan Breedlove started for the Hornets and took the loss (2-2) as he allowed six runs (3 earned) on seven hits and no walks with five strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work.

W&L returns to action on Wednesday when it travels to Eastern Mennonite for a 3:00 pm game.

--GENERALS--