LEXINGTON, Va. – The Washington and Lee baseball team had its offense rolling on Sunday in a doubleheader sweep of Virginia Wesleyan, with a 20-8 game one win and a 13-8 win in game two.
The Generals (8-11, 8-11 ODAC) did a majority of their game-one scoring in the second and fifth innings, scoring eight runs in both frames. Trailing 4-1 entering the second, the scoring was started on a two-run single by first-year right fielder
Mason Satterfield (Vienna, Va./James Madison).
Sophomore third baseman
Luke Erdmann (Vienna, Va./James Madison) followed with a bases loaded walk and junior second baseman
Chapin Bassi (Concord, N.H./St. Paul's School) drove in a run on a ground out to give the Generals a 5-1 lead. The big blow in the inning came three batters later when sophomore left fielder
Zach Perkins (Vienna, Va./James Madison) tripled home three runs to put W&L ahead, 8-4.
With a 12-5 lead entering the bottom of the fifth, senior shortstop
Jason Volpicelli (Great Falls, Va./Paul VI Catholic) hit a sacrifice fly, which came before RBI singles from junior first baseman
Brian Wickman (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central Regional) and Perkins. Senior catcher
Jack Giardino (Charlotte, N.C./Providence Day School) drove in a pair of runs two batters later, and Erdmann, Bassi and Volpicelli capped the inning with one RBI each to give W&L a 20-5 lead through five innings.
The Marlins (5-21, 5-14 ODAC) scored two runs in the seventh and one run in the eighth to yield the final in game one.
The 20 runs scored in game one were the most for W&L since a 21-5 win over Emory & Henry on March 20, 2013.
In the second game, the teams traded two-run first innings, with the W&L runs coming on a single from Volpicelli and a ground out by Perkins. The Generals scored two more in the second, but the Marlins re-tied the game with a run in both the fourth and fifth innings.
The Generals finished off Virginia Wesleyan by scoring in each of the final four innings, including a five-run eighth to seal the game. The team's final at-bat was highlighted by an RBI double from sophomore center fielder
Mitchell Salvino (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic) and a two-run triple to right center off the bat of junior designated hitter
Jackson Gazin (Reisterstown, Md./Boys' Latin School of Md.).
Perkins and Bassi had massive performances at the plate on the day. Perkins totaled 6-for-9 with two doubles, a triple, seven runs scored and five RBI, including four runs and four RBI in game one. Bassi also tallied six hits and had 13 total bases in the doubleheader, courtesy of two doubles a triple and his second home run of the season, which came in game one. Bassi finished the day with six RBI and four runs.
In addition, Volpicelli had three hits and four RBI between the two games, Gazin went 3-for-5 with four RBI in game two, and Giardino and Erdmann combined to go 5-for-9 with five runs and five RBI in game one.
Senior righty
Matt Whitely (Salem, Va./Hidden Valley) (3-1) earned the game one win with a final line of three runs in 3.1 innings. First-year left-hander
Thomas Haller (Round Hill, Va./Woodgrove) (1-3) was the game two winning pitcher as he went 7.1 innings and allowed five earned runs on eight hits. Senior righty
Peyton McCann (Midlothian, Va./James River) earned a save in game two, as he pitched the final 1.2 innings and allow two unearned runs on three hits.
For the Marlins, senior designated hitter Tyriq Campbell led the offense as he totaled 5-for-9 across the two games, including a game two home run, with two runs and three RBI. Sophomore left fielder Jaelen Hines had four hits, two RBI and three runs for the day and sophomore right fielder Jake Ness had two hits, one run and two RBI in both games.
Senior Jay Crusemire (1-5) took the loss in game one after he allowed seven runs on six hits in 1.0 inning. The game two losing pitcher was junior southpaw Robert Cook (3-4) who allowed six runs (four earned) on eight hits in 6.0 innings.
The Generals will return to the diamond on Wednesday when they travel to Bridgewater for a 4:00 pm ODAC contest.
