GREEBNSBORO, N.C. – The Washington and Lee baseball team used a pair of strong starting pitching performances to record a doubleheader sweep of Guilford College on Saturday afternoon at McBane Field.

The Generals (8-8, 6-2 ODAC) received 6.1 solid innings from junior Roger Strong (Spencerport, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit) and a seven-run outburst in the eighth inning to take game one, 8-3. Senior Gregg Laswell (Houston, Texas/Memorial) then tossed a complete-game shutout in game two as W&L won 5-0.

Despite allowing just two runs on nine hits, a walk and four strikeouts, Strong and the Generals found themselves trailing 2-1 entering the eighth inning of game one as Guilford senior Zach Daw was equally impressive, having limited W&L to just one run on two hits to that point.

Leading off the eighth, sophomore shortstop Jonathan Stutts (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Country Day) chased Daw with a double to ignite W&L's rally. Following a walk to sophomore first baseman Alex Maragos (Chicago, Ill./Loyola), sophomore Will Salley (Augusta, Ga./Westside) singled to the right side and a fielding error allowed both Maragos and Stutts to score to put W&L up 3-2.

The rally appeared to be short-lived as senior Sammy Stuart induced a foul out and a groundout. However, back-to-back walks loaded the bases and senior Anthony Cardona (Lower Gwynedd, Pa./Chestnut Hill) was then hit by a pitch to force in a run and make it a 4-2 game.

Junior Alston James (Hammond, S.C./Hammond) was also hit by a pitch to drive in another run and Stutts followed with a bases-clearing double to give the Generals an 8-2 lead before Maragos fouled out to end the inning.

Senior Kyle Wooden added a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to account for the final score.

Sophomore Ian Shaw (Atlanta, Ga./Riverwood) picked up the win (2-1) with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.

Stutts finished 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, three RBIs and two runs. Salley was on base five times and scored one run. He went  1-for-2 with a walk and he was hit by a pitch twice.

For GC, Zack Montalbano was 3-for-3, senior Jay Cox was 2-for-2 and Wooden finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Daw's final line was two runs allowed (1 earned) on three hits, four walks and three strikeouts in 7.0 innings.

In game two, Laswell made sure that W&L would not need to rally for the win as he turned in a masterful start. He allowed just four singles, struck out seven and did not walk a batter in going the distance. Only once did he allow a runner as far as second base.

W&L received all the runs it would need in the first inning courtesy of a Maragos double that drove in Cardona.

The Generals added a single run in the fourth inning on a fielder's choice and again tallied a single run in the fifth on an RBI double by Salley to go up 3-0.

W&L concluded its scoring in the seventh on RBI singles by sophomores Joe Scalzo (Ridgefield, Conn./Brunswick) and Mike Savas (Bernardsville, N.J./Delbarton).

Savas finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and Stutts was 2-for-5 with two runs. Salley was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Scalzo was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run as W&L banged out 15 hits in the nightcap.

Sophomore Ben Esser was 2-for-3 for Guilford.

First-year Borja Jones-Bersaluce took the loss, allowing three runs on 11 hits with six strikeouts in 6.0 innings.

W&L returns to action tomorrow when it hosts No. 17 Tufts at 1:00 pm.

--GENERALS--