LEXINGTON, Va. – The Washington and Lee baseball team cruised to a 14-2, seven-inning win over Capital University after a breakout seven-run fourth inning at home on Tuesday.
After three and a half shutout innings, the Generals' (6-3) bats came alive with a seven-run fourth. First-year third baseman
Nick Lagges (Chicago, Ill./Lane Tech) split the outfielders with a double to left center. After a pair of walks to load the bases, first-year right fielder
Paul Ramseur (Atlanta, Ga./Pace) put the first runs on the board with a double. After an RBI single by senior left fielder
Zach Perkins (Vienna, Va./James Madison), sophomore catcher
Campbell Charneco (Clifton, Va. / Centreville) snuck a double past the diving third baseman to drive in a pair of runs.
With a quick 5-0 lead, senior center fielder
Mitchell Salvino (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic) hit a no-doubt home run to left-center field to push the lead to seven.
W&L added one more run in the fifth after sophomore first baseman
Mike Carpenter (Aurora, Ohio/Aurora) hit a solo shot to left field. Leading 8-2 in the bottom of the sixth, the Generals got right back to work. A one-out triple by Charneco followed by back-to-back walks loaded the bases for the Generals. Lagges knocked a two-RBI single through the left side to bring home Salvino and Charneco to extend the lead to eight. The very next at-bat brought Carpenter back to the plate where he doubled down the right field line, scoring two more.
The Comets (2-3) put up one run in both the fifth and the sixth innings. Capital put its first run on the board with an RBI-walk by sophomore second baseman Grayson Gulley after three singles loaded the bases. A sixth-inning solo home run by senior catcher EJ Santana added the second run for the Comets.
The Generals managed 13 hits in the seven-inning game. Ramseur, Charneco and Lagges all put up three hits on the day including Charneco who was just a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. The trio combined for eight runs batted in while scoring five times themselves. Carpenter also finished with a multi-hit game going 2-for-3 with three RBI on the solo homerun and the two-run double.
The Comets finished with eight hits and three multi-hit performers. Santana, sophomore first baseman Ryne McKinney, and sophomore right fielder Hunter Wilson all finished with two hits on the day.
Sophomore pitcher
Matt Fleming (Houston, Texas/St. John's School) (1-0) earned the win after an impressive 4.2-inning outing, including a four-pitch third inning. Fleming allowed just one run on five hits including five strikeouts and zero walks. First-year reliever
Bob Burr (Potomac, Md. / Kiski) closed the game out for the Generals with a scoreless seventh inning, which included one strikeout.
Senior pitcher Curtis Clark started the game on the mound for the Comets. In three shutout innings of work, he allowed two hits on three strikeouts. Senior reliever Gavin Vanhorn (1-1) received the loss on the day after allowing six runs on four hits.
The Generals return to the field Wednesday to host Mary Baldwin University at 4:00 pm.
