LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University baseball team dropped their final Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) midweek contest on Tuesday, falling to Bridgewater College 9-5 at Cap'n Dick Smith Field.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Eagles (23–12–1, 13–6–1 ODAC) jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first. Nick Stavros led off with a walk and advanced to second on a throwing error. Branson Hensley opened the scoring with a triple to left-center, then came home on a Zack Chadwell sacrifice fly. Trent Holland followed with a single through the middle and later scored on a Lucas Bauer RBI single to left, giving Bridgewater a 3–0 lead.
- The Generals (12–15, 6–14 ODAC) responded in the bottom of the third. Campbell Charneco singled to left-center and Andrew Thornton drew a walk to put two runners on. With two outs, Jack Belbot delivered a clutch two-RBI triple down the right field line to cut the deficit to 3–2.
- However, Bridgewater broke the game open in the top of the fourth, scoring six runs on three hits and an error to take a commanding 9–2 lead.
- W&L chipped away in the bottom half of the frame. Preston Larmore and Camdyn Teague opened the inning with singles, and an error loaded the bases. Charneco drove in a run on a fielder's choice, and Thornton followed with an RBI single to left-center. John Turner drew a walk to reload the bases before Belbot forced in another run with a bases-loaded walk—his third RBI of the game—making it 9–5.
- Both bullpens held strong through the late innings. In the ninth, Charneco drew the Generals' sixth walk of the game, advanced to third on a wild pitch and a Belbot single, and nearly sparked a rally. However, Nick Lagges lined out to right field to end the game.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Generals fell to 12–15 overall and 6–14 in ODAC play with the loss, marking their eighth consecutive defeat against Bridgewater and their fifth conference series loss of the season.
- Andrew Thornton and Jack Belbot led the offense, each going 2-for-4 (.500) at the plate. Belbot drove in a team-high three RBI.
- On the mound, Nathan DeWitte (2–1) was tagged with the loss after allowing five earned runs on six hits and four walks over three innings. Brody Pasieka turned in an outstanding relief effort, tossing six innings and allowing just one run on five hits while striking out three.
BRIDGEWATER GAME NOTES
- The Eagles improved to 23–12–1 overall and 13–6–1 in ODAC play with the win, securing their eighth consecutive victory over the Generals. The streak dates back to May 8, 2022, when Bridgewater defeated W&L 8–1 in the ODAC Opening Series.
- Lucas Bauer led the Eagles at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance, driving in two runs, while Ashton Smith added a team-high three RBI, going 2-for-4 on the day.
- On the mound, Hunter Covill (4–0) picked up the win in relief, tossing 2.1 shutout innings and striking out two.
UP NEXT
- The Generals are back in action tomorrow evening as they host Mary Baldwin University for their final home game of the season at 6 p.m.
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.
