HARRISONBURG, Va. - The Washington and Lee University baseball team rallied back from an early deficit to defeat the Eastern Mennonite University Royals 9-8 in extra innings on Wednesday.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Royals (9-16, 4-10 ODAC) struck first in the bottom of the first inning. Nick Arnold beat out an infield single and advanced on a throwing error before scoring on an Aidan Miller single up the middle, giving EMU a 1–0 lead.
- Arnold again sparked the offense in the third with a base hit to center and a stolen base to move into scoring position. After tagging up on a fly ball to center, he scored for the second time on an Erik Wilkinson single through the left side, extending the Royals' lead to 2-0.
- In the fifth, the Royals made it 4–0 as Arnold tallied his third hit of the day, followed by a two-run blast to left field by Miller.
- The Generals (12-12, 6-11 ODAC) got on the board in the sixth. Landen Rucker roped a double to left-center and Nathan DeWitte drew a walk. After both advanced on a wild pitch, Nick Lagges delivered an RBI single to left-center. One batter later, Paul Ramseur plated DeWitte with a sacrifice fly to trim the deficit to 4-2.
- Washington and Lee surged ahead in the top of the eighth, plating five runs on three hits. Lagges led off with a walk, followed by a Ramseur double to right-center to bring the Generals within one. Back-to-back walks to Preston Larmore and Camdyn Teague loaded the bases, and Rucker drove in Jonathan French with a sacrifice fly to tie the game. DeWitte followed with an RBI single to left-center, and Campbell Charneco walked to load the bases once again. Andrew Thornton capped the rally with a two-RBI single, giving W&L a 7-4 lead.
- The Royals answered in the bottom of the frame, tying the game at 7-7 with three runs on three hits and a Generals' error.
- After a scoreless ninth, W&L regained the lead in the 10th. Walks to Teague and Rucker, followed by a DeWitte bunt single, loaded the bases. Charneco then grounded out to bring home Teague for an 8–7 advantage. EMU tied it again with a sacrifice fly in the bottom half, forcing extra innings.
- Following a quiet 11th, Rucker opened the 12th with a lead off triple, setting the stage for a milestone moment. Charneco delivered his 150th career hit and 100th career RBI, driving in the winning run to lift the Generals to a thrilling 9-8 victory in 12 innings.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Generals improved to 12-12 overall with a 6-11 record in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) play, snapping a three-game losing streak against EMU. The victory marked their first win over the Royals since March 22, 2023.
- Landen Rucker led the offense, going 2-for-3 at the plate with a double, triple, two walks, and one RBI. Campbell Charneco reached a pair of career milestones, recording his 150th career hit and becoming just the fifth player in program history to drive in 100 or more runs.
- On the mound, Brody Pasieka (1-2) earned his first win of the season, tossing 4.1 innings in relief, allowing just one earned run on five hits.
EMU GAME NOTES
- The Royals fell to 9-16 overall and 4-10 in ODAC play with the loss.
- Nick Arnold led the EMU offense, going 3-for-5 at the plate with one RBI and two walks. Aidan Miller and Dylan Hall each contributed three RBI on the afternoon.
- On the mound, Maxim Fritts (1-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing one earned run on two hits with two strikeouts over two innings of work.
UP NEXT
- The Generals are off for ten days before returning to action on Saturday, April 19 as they welcome Virginia Wesleyan University for their final home conference doubleheader of the season. W&L will honor their 10 seniors prior to game one against the Marlins.
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.
