LEXINGTON, Va. – The Washington and Lee baseball team split a doubleheader at Ferrum College on Sunday with a game-two 11-5 win and a game-one loss, 4-3.
The Generals' (15-14, 9-10 ODAC) bats exploded in game two, out-hitting the Panthers (13-21, 7-12 ODAC), 15 hits to three. W&L closed out the game with a five-run ninth inning. With runners on the corners, junior first baseman
Drew Larsen (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run) laced a double to right center, scoring both runners and extending the W&L lead to three. Junior catcher
Jaden Keuhner (Aldie, Va./John Champe) and junior shortstop
Ethan Zulueta (Matthews, N.C./Weddington) recorded an RBI single of their own in the frame.
The Blue and White scored two runs in the first, sixth, and seventh. Sophomore designated hitter
Campbell Charneco (Clifton, Va./Centreville) singled in the first, scoring the first two runs of the game. In a 2-1 seventh inning, Keuhner drove in a pair of runs and extended the Generals' lead to three. After the Panthers tied the game with a three-run bottom of the sixth, junior second baseman
Jacob Jackson (Norfolk, Va./Maury) hit a go-ahead two-run home run to right center to push the Generals' ahead.
Ferrum scored five runs on three hits, three of the runs coming off of a three-run homer in the sixth by junior first baseman Clayton Michael.
The first game between the two was a much more even match. Both teams recorded seven hits, but W&L fell one run short. With W&L trailing, 2-1, in the fifth, Charneco gave the Generals the lead with a two-run homer to right center. The Panthers quickly regained the lead with a two-run fifth inning. First-year catcher Elijah Byrd hit in the go-ahead run with a single through the left side of the infield scoring first-year center fielder Russel Golembe.
Charneco was a threat at the plate, going 5-for-9 with a homer and four runs batted in. Larsen, Zulueta, and Jackson had three hits of their own combining for five RBI, including a homer by Jackson.
Byrd went 3-for-3 in game one for the Panthers, scoring one run. Michael accounted for two of the three Ferrum hits in game two, going 2-for-3, with four runs batted in.
Sophomore pitcher
John Benner (5-4) (McLean, Va./St. Albans) allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits in 7.2 innings of work in game one. Benner struck out eight and walked three in the outing. First-year pitcher Tyler Smith (2-2) received the game one win after pitching 3.1 hitless innings.
First-year pitcher
Ben Sundell (1-0) (Liberty, Mo./Liberty) received his first collegiate win in a dominating game-two performance. Sundell threw 2.1 innings with five punchouts. The Panthers threw eight different arms in the game. First-year pitcher Wyatt Chaffin (0-2) was the pitcher of record.
The Generals continue their road trip with a night game against Bridgewater College on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m.
