LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University baseball team dropped a pair of Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) games to the fifth-ranked University of Lynchburg on Saturday at Cap'n Dick Smith Field.
GAME ONE | #5 LYN 3, W&L 1
- Neither offense could capitalize in the first three innings, but Lynchburg (12-1, 2-0 ODAC) struck first in the top of the fourth. After Joe Munitz was hit by a pitch, Ben Jones singled to left-center field to put two runners on.
- A sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position before Munitz came around to score on a wild pitch. A few pitches later, Ryder Warren singled up the middle to drive in Jones, putting the Hornets up 2-0.
- Nathan DeWitte reached first on an error with two outs in the bottom of the fourth before John Turner ripped a single into center field to plate a run and cut the Hornets' lead to one.
- A pitching duel ensued, with neither team gaining an advantage until the top of the ninth, when Lynchburg added an insurance run to take a 3-1 lead. Gavin Collins drew a walk before moving to second on a wild pitch and coming around to score on a Parker Cato double to center field.
- Tyler Kaltreide capped off a complete game with a pair of strikeouts and a fly out, securing the game-one win for the Hornets.
GAME TWO | #5 LYN 17, W&L 4 (7 Inn.)
- Lynchburg wasted no time in the first inning as Munitz doubled down the right-field line to lead off before coming around to score on a Joe Gordon single to left field, putting the Hornets up 1-0.
- Jonathan French led off the bottom of the first with a single to right field before stealing second base. After a ground out, French advanced to third following a throwing error by the Hornets' pitcher. He came around to score on the next at-bat on a Nick Lagges ground out, tying the game at one.
- The Hornets extended their lead to two in the next frame after Collins singled to start the inning before moving to third on a stolen base and a ground out. He came around to score when Logan Webster roped a double to right-center field. Webster then crossed the plate to put the Hornets up 3-1 after Brandon Garcia singled to center field.
- Lynchburg added three more runs in the top of the fourth to take a 6-1 lead. Cato walked, and Webster singled to right field to put two runners on. Garcia laid down a bunt to move the runners into scoring position, but an error by the Generals brought home a pair of runs. Garcia came around to score on the next at-bat as Munitz singled to right field.
- Two Hornets reached base on a hit-by-pitch and a walk before a failed pick off attempt by the Generals allowed Connor Moore to score, extending Lynchburg's lead to six.
- In the top of the sixth inning, Lynchburg put the game out of reach by scoring ten runs on six hits to take a 17-1 lead. The Hornets sent 15 batters to the plate in the inning, recording five RBI singles.
- The Generals (5-4, 1-3 ODAC) plated three runs on three hits in the bottom of the sixth. Lagges and Andrew Thornton drew back-to-back walks to start the inning before coming around to score on a John Turner double down the left-field line. Mike Carpenter drove in Turner with a single through the right side of the infield.
- Colin McGuire came in to finish off the game for the Hornets, forcing a ground out and a fly out before striking out the final batter to secure the sweep.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Generals fall to 5-4 on the season while dropping their third ODAC game of the year. They also fell to 55-91-1 in the all-time series against Lynchburg, extending their losing streak to 12 games against the Hornets.
- John Turner and Jonathan French paced the offense with a .500 batting average, with Turner going 3-for-6 across both games with three RBIs.
- John Benner (1-1) was credited with the loss in game one after allowing two earned runs on four hits with three strikeouts in four innings of work. Matt Fleming (1-1) took the loss in game two after allowing three earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in three innings.
LYNCHBURG GAME NOTES
- Lynchburg moved to 12-1 on the season while notching its first two wins in conference play.
- Ben Jones paced the Hornets' offense in game one with a 2-for-3 effort while scoring once. Joe Gordon went 3-for-4 at the plate in game two with a game-high three RBIs. Munitz, Jones, and Webster each recorded two hits for the Hornets.
- Tyler Kaltreide (4-0) picked up his fourth win of the season after tossing a complete game, allowing one unearned run on seven hits while striking out ten batters. Nick Mattfield (2-0) earned the win on the mound in game two after throwing five innings, allowing just one unearned run on four hits while striking out three batters.
UP NEXT
- The Blue and White will continue conference play on Tuesday as they travel to Winchester, Va. for a 3 p.m. first pitch at Shenandoah University.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
