ASHEBORO, N.C. - The Washington and Lee University baseball team dropped their 2026 season opener to Greensboro College, 8-4, on Friday afternoon in the Tar Heel State.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Pride (1-0) opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Mike Rinaldi blasted a two-out solo home run.
- Alex Caywood led off the next half-inning with a double to left-center field for his first collegiate hit. With two outs, Oakley Rempel drove in Caywood from second with a single to left to tie the game.
- The Generals (0-1) took the lead in the top of the third after Nathan DeWitte beat out an infield single and stole second. He advanced to third on a ground out before Andrew Thornton drew a walk to put runners on the corners. Caywood collected his second RBI of the game, driving in DeWitte with a single to give W&L a 2-1 advantage.
- Greensboro answered again with a solo home run from Christian Glaze to even the score. Trevor Testerman then gave the Pride a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth with a solo shot to center field.
- With two outs in the top of the fifth, Nick Lagges singled to center and stole second to move into scoring position. Thornton tied the game at three with a triple to right field that plated Lagges. Caywood followed with his second RBI of the afternoon, roping a double into left-center field to put the Generals back on top, 4-3.
- In the bottom of the sixth, Greensboro regained the lead for good. After back-to-back strikeouts, Testerman reached on a hit-by-pitch, and Carson Herod reached on an error to put runners on the corners. Alex Vazquez drove in both runners with a double to left field to give the Pride a 5-4 advantage.
- Following a scoreless seventh and top of the eighth, Greensboro added three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. The Pride loaded the bases with a single, a hit-by-pitch, and a walk. Testerman scored on a wild pitch, and another walk reloaded the bases. Herod then came home on a sacrifice fly before Severson doubled down the left-field line to drive in the final run, sealing an 8-4 victory for the Pride on Opening Day.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Generals fell to 0-1 on the young season, dropping their season opener for the second time in the past three years.
- Alex Caywood led the Generals' offense with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate in his collegiate debut, recording two doubles and two RBI. Nick Lagges, Andrew Thornton, and Landen Rucker each added two hits. Thornton and Oakley Rempel drove in one run apiece.
- Cooper Charneco (0-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits over 5.2 innings. He matched a career high with nine strikeouts.
GREENSBORO GAME NOTES
- Greensboro won its fifth straight season opener to move to 1-0 on the year. The Pride also avenged a 16-4 loss from 2024 with the victory, improving to 5-3 in the all-time series against the Generals.
- Trevor Testerman led the Pride with a 2-for-2 performance at the plate, including a solo home run and three stolen bases. Jacob Severson and Alex Vazquez each recorded two hits in the win, while Vazquez and Christian Glaze drove in a team-high two runs apiece.
- Michael Richards (1-0) earned his first win of the season after pitching six innings, allowing four runs on nine hits while striking out one. Matthew Nelson picked up his first save of the year, tossing three shutout innings in relief with four strikeouts.
UP NEXT
- The Generals are back in action for game two against the Pride tomorrow at 6 p.m. at McCray Park.
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.
