ASHLAND, Va. – The Washington and Lee baseball team suffered a doubleheader sweep at the hands of 11th-ranked Randolph-Macon on the road on Saturday, dropping game one by a 16-3 margin before a 7-6 walk-off loss in game two.
With the Generals (1-3, 1-3 ODAC) holding a 6-2 lead entering the bottom of the seventh, senior third baseman Mike Nickles sparked the R-MC (3-2, 2-0 ODAC) comeback with a sacrifice fly to right field. Senior catcher Kevin Mooney then singled to center to cut the W&L lead to 6-4. After senior lefty
Nate Cohen (Atlanta, Ga./North Springs) got a fly out for the second out of the frame, senior first-baseman Reece Yeargain singled home two runners to tie the score.
Two batters later, sophomore second baseman Brooks Mazey knocked a walk-off single into center field to complete the doubleheader sweep.
The Yellow Jackets scored their first two runs in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI ground out from first-year shortstop Grayson Bush and a run-scoring single from senior center fielder Ryan Duphorn.
The Generals began the game with a strong first inning as, with one out, sophomore center fielder
Mitchell Salvino (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic) singled in the team's first run. First-year third baseman
Zach Senders (Potomac, Md./Bullis School) followed with a bases loaded walk, sophomore second baseman
Peter Clyne (New York, N.Y./Hackley School) singled home a run and first-year catcher
Jaden Keuhner (Aldie, Va./John Champe) knocked in two runs to put the Generals up 5-0.
Junior designated hitter
Jackson Gazin (Reisterstown, Md./Boys's Latin School of Md.) then hit a sac fly to left to give W&L a 6-0 lead through one inning.
In game one, the Yellow Jackets put four runs on the board in the first inning on no hits and three W&L errors, before five hits led to six more runs in the bottom of the second, to put W&L at a 10-0 deficit. Mooney started the second-inning scoring with a two-run single, followed by three consecutive run-scoring singles.
R-MC tacked on three more runs on two hits in the bottom of the third, and then Gazin singled home senior catcher
Jack Giardino (Charlotte, N.C./Providence Day School) in the top of the fifth. The Yellow Jackets responded with three runs in their half of the fifth, before sophomore left fielder
Zach Perkins (Vienna, Va./James Madison) hit a two-run home run to left in the top of the seventh to close the scoring.
Keuhner highlighted the W&L offense with a 3-for-3, two-RBI performance in game two, while Gazin and Clyne compiled three hits across the two games. Perkins' game-one home run was his second of the season.
On the mound, first-year left-hander
Thomas Haller (Round Hill, Va./Woodgrove) pitched into the seventh of game two, finishing with 6.0 innings and four runs allowed (two earned) on six hits. Cohen (0-1) took the loss after allowing one run on three hits in 0.1 innings, while sophomore right-hander
John Raymond (Frenchtown, N.J./Delaware Valley Regional) (0-1) was the pitcher of record in game one, as he allowed four runs in the first 0.2 innings.
R-MC senior catcher Ryan Selden finished the day 4-for-5, including 3-for-4 in game two, with three RBI in game one. Mazey notched two hits and four RBI on the day, Nickles and Mooney both scored three times in game one and senior right fielder Shawn Nickles touched home four times.
Senior pitcher Matt Nickles (1-1) was the game one winning pitcher, as he tossed 5.0 innings and allowed one unearned run on two hits with three walks and nine strikeouts. Senior Tyler Dunn (1-0) was the winning pitcher in game two as he threw a scoreless seventh inning, while senior left-hander Zack Radcliffe threw 4.1 scoreless innings to hold W&L at six runs on the scoreboard.
The Generals will be back in action on Wednesday when they travel to No. 21 Shenandoah for a 3:30 ODAC game.
