LEXINGTON, Va. – The Washington and Lee baseball team suffered a doubleheader sweep at home against No. 12 Lynchburg on Sunday, falling by scores of 6-4 and 14-3.
The Hornets (16-3, 6-1 ODAC) struck first in the opener with a first-inning RBI single by senior left fielder Avery Neaves. A five-run top of the second pushed Lynchburg ahead 6-0, but marked the final runs in the game for Lynchburg. The big play of the game came off of a three-run blast by graduate center fielder Carrson Atkins. Consecutive singles by Neaves and sophomore right fielder Logan Webster drove in the final two runs.
The Generals (12-8, 6-4 ODAC) attempted a rally in the bottom of the second, scoring three. A leadoff single by junior second baseman
Jacob Jackson (Norfolk, Va./Maury) got the ball rolling for the Blue and White. A one-out single by first-year third baseman
Nick Lagges (Chicago, Ill./Lane Tech) put the Generals on the board, scoring Jackson. The Generals continued to keep the ball in play and forced an error out of Lynchburg to keep the inning alive. The final run came across following an RBI groundout by first-year right fielder
Paul Ramseur (Atlanta, Ga./Pace).
The bullpens took control for the next five innings, allowing zero runs until the bottom of the seventh. Jackson scored the final run of the game off of a sacrifice bunt scoring senior left fielder
Zach Perkins (Vienna, Va./James Madison).
Lynchburg opened the scoring in game two with a sac fly by first-year third baseman Benton Jones and a single by first-year catcher Sean Pokorak, pushing the Hornets ahead 2-0. Lynchburg continued scoring, putting up runs in all but three innings. The long ball was a big factor in game two with the Hornets clearing the fence three times. Jones extended the lead from three to five in the third with a two-run blast, and Neaves hit two of his own in the sixth and seventh, bringing home five runs.
While the Generals managed 10 hits in the evening contest, they could only tally three runs, spread throughout the third, seventh, and eighth.
Perkins had four hits and two runs in both games, while Jackson finished with three hits, a run, and two runs batted in. Lagges and Ramseur both posted multi-hit games going 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI each.
Neaves ended the day for the Hornets by going 5-for-8 with two homers and seven runs batted in. Atkins finished game one going 4-for-4, knocking in three, while Jones finished with five hits throughout the doubleheader.
Hornet senior pitcher Zack Potts (6-0) earned the game one win after a 6.2-inning outing. Potts allowed four runs (two earned) on seven hits including six punchouts. Senior pitcher Jack Bachmore received the save (S, 3) after 2.1 hitless innings allowing no baserunners and striking out three. Generals' sophomore pitcher
Thomas Haller (Round Hill, Va./Woodgrove) (1-3) received the game-one loss after allowing six runs over 6.1 innings including 10 hits. Sophomore pitcher
Andrew Flood (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset Secondary School) closed out the first game by throwing a scoreless 2.2 innings.
Graduate pitcher Brandon Pond (2-0) received the game-two win after allowing one run (unearned) on four hits and adding three strikeouts. Sophomore pitcher
John Benner (McLean, Va./St. Albans) received the loss (4-2) after allowing eight runs (four earned) on six hits.
The Generals return to the field Tuesday for a single game against Bridgewater College at 4:00 p.m.
