LEXINGTON, Va. – The Washington and Lee baseball team opened the 2021 season with a 10-6 comeback win over Hampden-Sydney in game one of a doubleheader, before dropping game two, 8-0, on Saturday at Cap'n Dick Smith Field.
 
Trailing by a score of 6-2 through five and a half innings in game one, W&L (1-1, 1-1 ODAC) sophomore center fielder Mitchell Salvino (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic) got the rally started when he reached on an error and eventually scored on a wild pitch. With a runner on third, first-year right fielder Mason Satterfield (Vienna, Va./James Madison) singled to right and then scored when junior designated hitter Jackson Gazin (Reisterstown, Md./Boys' Latin School of Md.) tripled down the right-field line.
 
After a scoreless seventh, the Generals broke the game open with a five-run bottom of the eighth to take a 10-6 lead. The inning was highlighted by an two-run inside-the-park home run from sophomore left fielder Zach Perkins (Vienna, Va./James Madison). 
 
The Generals also received a strong pitching performance out of the bullpen from senior righty Peyton McCann (Midlothian, Va./James River). McCann came on with two outs in the fourth and surrendered a single on his first pitch, but then settled in, retiring each of the next 12 batters. McCann (1-0) earned the win in game one, going 5.1 innings with just two hits allowed and six strikeouts.
 
The Tigers (3-2, 2-1 ODAC) were led by the pitching of junior right-hander Nick Graziano (1-1) in game two. Graziano finished with seven shutout innings of work, allowing four hits, four walks and striking out seven. He faced a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the bottom of the seventh, but got a strikeout followed by a double play to escape and preserve the Tigers' then four-run lead.
 
H-SC scored two runs in the second on a two-out error and added two more runs in the third on an error and a sacrifice fly. The Tigers rounded out their scoring with a four-run eighth inning, highlighted by a two-run single from sophomore left fielder Tymothy Hart.
 
Junior third baseman Chapin Bassi (Concord, N.H./St. Paul's School) and junior first baseman Brian Wickman (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central Regional) led the W&L offense with three hits in game one, while Wickman added a fourth hit of the day in game two. Perkins, Satterfield and sophomore second baseman Peter Clyne (New York, N.Y./Hackley School) each drove in a pair of runs in game one, while Salvino scored three times.

Senior shortstop Jason Volpicelli (Great Falls, Va./Paul VI Catholic) was the only General to record multiple hits in both games, as he went 2-for-5 with a double and a run in game one and 2-for-4 in game two.
 
W&L sophomore righty John Raymond (Frenchtown, N.J./Delaware Valley Regional) earned a no decision in game one after giving up two earned runs in 3.2 innings before McCann took over. First-year southpaw Thomas Haller (Round Hill, Va./Woodgrove) (0-1) got the start in game two and allowed four unearned runs across five innings of work.
 
For the Tigers, Hart notched three hits, including a double, in 10 at-bats on the day, drove in and scored three runs and also stole three bases. Junior designated hitter Trey Karnes and senior center fielder Matt Muehleck both had two hits in game two, with Muehleck totaling three hits and a run across both games. 
 
Junior right-hander Trenton Tiller started on the mound in game one and allowed two earned runs (five total) in 5.2 innings to get a no decision. Sophomore righty Owen Tappy (2-1) took the loss after he allowed five runs on five hits over the final 2.1 innings. After Graziano exited game two, junior righty Kieran Conway and first-year right-hander Ryan Portes tossed one scoreless inning each, facing a total of seven batters.
 
The Generals will return to the diamond next Saturday, March 13, when they travel to No. 2 Randolph-Macon for an ODAC doubleheader. Game one is slated to begin at 12:00 pm.