LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University baseball team erased a seven run deficit in the final four innings to down Southern Virginia University 10-9 and sweep the season series on Tuesday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Knights (6–16) got on the board first, scoring one run on two hits in the top of the second. Benji Horsley led off the inning with a walk before Marcelino Leonardo Jr. singled to right-center field. A Robby Stempin sacrifice bunt moved both runners over, and a sacrifice fly brought home Horsley.
- Washington and Lee (10–10) took their first lead of the game in the next frame. Preston Larmore doubled to lead off the inning, and Jonathan French beat out a bunt single to put runners on the corners. Larmore scored on a wild pitch in the next at-bat before Nathan DeWitte drove in French with a single to center field, giving W&L a 2–1 lead.
- In the top of the fifth, Southern Virginia retook the lead. Seth Lloyd singled up the middle to start the inning, then advanced to third on back-to-back ground outs. Garrett Stauffer beat out an infield single to allow Lloyd to score, and Horsley followed with a triple to right-center field to drive in Stauffer, putting the Knights up 3–2.
- The Knights extended their lead in the top of the sixth, capitalizing on a pair of Generals' errors and six hits to plate six runs and take a 9–2 advantage.
- The Blue and White cut into the deficit in the bottom half of the sixth. French and Camdyn Teague drew back-to-back walks and advanced on a DeWitte ground out. French scored on a fielder's choice before Andrew Thornton followed with a single to right field to drive in Teague, trimming the score to 9–4.
- The Generals' offense came alive in the bottom of the seventh. Turner singled to left to start the inning and advanced 90 feet on a balk. Larmore was hit by a pitch to put two runners on, before French ripped an RBI double into right-center to cut the deficit to four.
- Teague followed with a single up the middle to drive in two more runs. After Lagges walked and Thornton singled to load the bases, Campbell Charneco hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Teague. Jack Belbot then blasted a two-RBI double to right field, giving the Generals a 10–9 lead.
- The Knights threatened in the top of the eighth, loading the bases with a single and two walks. But Matt Fleming induced a ground out from Geertsen to escape the jam. In the ninth, after a lead off ground out, Fleming struck out back-to-back batters to secure the comeback win for the Blue and White.
W&L GAME NOTES
- With the win, the Generals improve to 10–10 on the season and secure their first sweep over the Knights since 2018.
- Matt Fleming (2–2) earned the win on the mound, tossing three shutout innings while allowing just two hits and striking out a season-high four batters.
- Jonathan French led the way for the Generals' offense with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate, including a double and two walks. Andrew Thornton and Preston Larmore each added two hits in the win, while Camdyn Teague and Jack Belbot chipped in with two RBI apiece.
SOUTHERN VIRGINIA GAME NOTES
- The Knights fell to 6–16 on the season with the loss, marking their third consecutive defeat to the Blue and White.
- Brady Steelman (0–1) was tagged with the loss after surrendering four earned runs on three hits and one walk in just 0.1 innings of work.
- Marcelino Leonardo Jr. led the SVU offense with a perfect 4-for-4 performance at the plate, driving in two runs. Robley and Horsley each collected two hits for the Knights in the loss.
UP NEXT
- The Generals are back in action tomorrow as they host Shenadoah University for an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) clash at 4 p.m. at Cap'n Dick Smith Field.
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.
