LEXINGTON, Va. — The Roanoke pitching staff recorded 20 strikeouts en route to sweeping a doubleheader over the Washington and Lee baseball team on Saturday at Cap'n Dick Smith Field.

The Maroons (10-6, 5-3 ODAC) shutout the Generals (6-7, 4-5 ODAC) in game one, 6-0, and then Roanoke scored three runs in the final three innings to take game two, 6-3.

Sophomore John Ruhlman (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) was dominant in the first game for the Maroons. He threw 8.0 innings, giving up just three hits and striking out 11. Senior Austin Gregory (Roanoke, Va./Hidden Valley) pitched the ninth inning, recording one strikeout.

The Maroons did most of their damage on offense in the top of the eighth inning. Leading 1-0, sophomore designated hitter Craig Kiley (Chapel Hill, N.C./Christ School) led off the frame with a double. After a walk and a wild pitch, junior first baseman Clark Crutchfield (Charlottesville, Va./Covenant School) singled to right field to push the lead to 2-0.

Following an error by first-year second baseman Austin Crane (Darien, Conn./Fairfield College Prep), sophomore left fielder Will Decker (Charlottesville, Va./MOnticello) scored on a ground out, and then sophomore center fielder Devin Cassity (Roanoke, Va./William Byrd) had a two-run single to right field to cap the inning. Roanoke added another run in the top of the ninth to reach the final margin.

Sophomore Tom Concklin (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) took the loss for W&L to fall to 2-2. He went 6.0 innings, allowing just one run and striking out seven.

In game two, the Generals were trailing 2-0 entering the bottom of the third inning. After a strikeout to start the inning, Crane reached on a bunt single to third. Senior shortstop Nick Biumi (Cumming, Ga./Lambert) was hit by a pitch, and then junior center fielder Luke Myer (Durham, N.C./Durham Academy) singled to first to load the bases.

First-year right fielder Kyle Ruedisili (Jupiter, Fla./The Benjamin School) hit a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Crane. Senior left fielder Drew Weprinsky (Atlanta, Ga./Westminster) then singled down the right field line to score Biumi and Myers to give W&L a 3-2 lead.

The Maroons tied the game in the top of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Decker. In the seventh, Roanoke took a 4-3 lead on a two-out RBI double to left center by first-year shortstop Cal Hodgert (Lynchburg, Va./Jefferson Forrest). The Maroons extended the lead in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Cassity, and then scored the final run of the game (6-3) on a one-run single by Hodgert in the ninth.

Junior Harrison Richards (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring) started for the Maroons and earned the victory to improve to 2-0. He tossed 7.0 innings, striking out seven. He gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits with no walks. Gregory pitched a perfect ninth inning to register his first save of the year.

Senior Drew Shott (Bethesda, Md./Georgetown Prep) suffered the loss to fall to 2-2. He pitched 2.0 innings of relief, giving up one run on two hits.

The Generals return to action when they travel to Bridgewater on Tuesday for a 4:00 pm contest.

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