DANVILLE, Va. – The Washington and Lee baseball team swept Averett University on Saturday to improve to 3-1 in the conference, winning game one, 14-2, and then following it up with a 9-1 game-two win. The Generals move to 9-3 overall.
The Generals put the nail in the coffin with a seven-run eighth inning to secure a game-one win. After three consecutive singles followed by a hit-by-pitch, senior center fielder
Mitchell Salvino (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic) hit an RBI single to push the General lead to eight. The inning was filled with small-ball baseball and solid at-bats totaling six singles in the frame and three walks to push the Blue and White to a 14-1 lead.
W&L made its mark early with a two-run first inning. First-year right fielder
Paul Ramseur (Atlanta, Ga./Pace) started the game with an infield single then took a trip around the bases following an RBI triple by senior left fielder
Zach Perkins (Vienna, Va./James Madison). Sophomore catcher
Campbell Charneco (Clifton, Va./Centreville) pushed Perkins 90 feet further with a sac fly to give the Generals a 2-0 lead.
The Generals held onto their lead and added on four more in the fourth. After a leadoff double by junior first baseman
Drew Larsen (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run), sophomore designated hitter
Jack Belbot (Baltimore, Md./Loyola Blakefield) pushed him across the plate with a sac fly. With runners on second and third, Perkins made his mark once more with a two-RBI double to left-center, clearing the bases. Charneco doubled down the left field line scoring Perkins for the final run of the inning.
Junior pitcher
Thomas Haller (Round Hill, Va./Woodgrove) (1-1) allowed just one run (unearned) on three hits during his six-inning outing. Haller added four punchouts and only one walk. Sophomore pitcher
Andrew Flood (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset Secondary School) (S, 1) received the save after a three-inning performance, responsible for just one run and three strikeouts.
The Generals wasted little time in game two of the doubleheader, putting up seven of their nine runs in the first three innings. After a single and double by Ramseur and Perkins, respectively, the pair both scored following heads-up baserunning to once again be the first two runs scored of the game.
First-year third baseman
Nick Lagges (Chicago, Ill./Lane Tech) got the second inning started with a solo shot to left field, his first of the year. Salvino kept the bats alive with an RBI double, scoring Ramseur. The two final runs of the inning come off singles by junior second baseman
Jacob Jackson (Norfolk, Va./Maury) and Larsen to push the Generals to a 6-1 lead.
W&L put up three single-run innings in the third, eighth, and ninth while stellar pitching left the Cougars scoreless through eight innings.
Sophomore pitcher
John Benner (McLean, Va./St. Albans) (3-1) threw eight frames allowing just one run on one hit and striking out three in the process. Belbot closed the game out for the Generals with two strikeouts in the final inning.
The Generals totaled 26 hits on the day. Perkins led the way with a five-hit day including a triple, two doubles and two singles totaling four runs batted in. Ramseur, Charneco, Salvino, Lagges and Larsen all finished with three hits each and combined for 12 RBI.
The Cougars' offense was led by sophomore third baseman Preston Robbins and sophomore right fielder Gavin Colwell who both totaled seven hits on the day. Sophomore second baseman Nick Romano and first-year first baseman Chris Byrd contributed an RBI each.
On the mound, David Asbill was tagged with the game-one loss after he allowed six runs on 10 hits in six innings of work. Tim Schware took the loss in game two as he lasted just 1.1 frames and allowed six runs on five hits with three walks.
The Generals continue on the road on Tuesday visiting Eastern Mennonite University at 3:00 pm.
