LEXINGTON, Va. - Facing their third nationally ranked conference opponent in a row, the Washington and Lee University baseball team got out of a bases loaded jam in the ninth inning to defeat 11th-ranked Shenandoah University, 4-2, on Tuesday evening at Cap'n Dick Smith Field.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Generals (6-5-1, 2-2-1 ODAC) opened the scoring in the bottom of the 1st as Nathan DeWitte led off the game with a walk before stealing second to put himself in scoring position. Andrew Thornton beat out an infield single to put runners on the corners. After Thornton stole second, DeWitte came around to score on a wild pitch to make it 1-0. Nick Caywood drew the second walk of the inning before Jackson Rogish drove in Thornton with a single to right field, giving the Blue and White a two-run lead.
- After two scoreless innings, the Hornets (14-2, 1-2 ODAC) cut W&L's lead to one in the bottom of the 4th. Tyler Smith wore a pitch before J.P. Williams blasted a double to left-center, driving in Smith from first.
- W&L tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the 6th as Jonathan French and DeWitte both singled with two outs. Both runners scored in the next at-bat as Alex Caywood doubled off the left-field wall to extend the Blue and White's lead to 4-1.
- Both teams went scoreless in the 7th and 8th, but Anthony Arrichiello drew a walk to lead off the 9th before Carl Keenan doubled down the left-field line to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Kyle Garrett then drew a walk before Arrichiello scored on a sacrifice fly. Jamie Padilla drew the third walk of the inning to load the bases before Eric Jacobsen closed the door, striking out Tyler Smith on three straight pitches to secure the 4-2 win over a nationally ranked team.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Generals moved to 6-5-1 on the season with a 2-2-1 mark in conference play. The win also marked the second consecutive victory over the Hornets.
- Alex Caywood (2-for-3) and Jackson Rogish (2-for-4) led the Generals' offense with two hits apiece, while Caywood drove in a team-high two runs. Nathan DeWitte, Andrew Thornton, Camdyn Teague, and Jonathan French each had one hit for the Blue and White this evening as well.
- Nathan DeWitte (1-1) earned his first win of the season as he allowed one run on three hits with three strikeouts in six innings of work. Eric Jacobsen picked up the first save of his career as he pitched the final three innings, allowing one run on two hits with four strikeouts.
SHENANDOAH GAME NOTES
- Shenandoah fell to 14-2 on the season and 1-2 in ODAC play, snapping their three game winning streak.
- J.P. Williams led the Hornets' offense with 3-for-3 effort at the plate with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Carl Keenan added two hits in his three plate appearances.
- Joe Gleason (0-1) was tagged with the loss as he allowed two runs on two hits with three walks in his 0.2 innings pitched.
UP NEXT
- The Generals return to diamond tomorrow evening as they take on Southern Virginia at 5 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.
