LEXINGTON, Va. - The Washington and Lee University baseball team knocked off their third ranked team of the season as they defeated No. 13/14 Bridgewater College, 13-7, in a midweek Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) game at Cap'n Dick Smith Field on Wednesday night.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After three scoreless frames for the Eagles (15-3, 0-3 ODAC), the Generals (9-6-1, 4-3-1 ODAC) struck for four runs in the bottom of the 3rd. Nick Lagges kicked off the inning with a single before Landen Rucker reached on an error to put runners on the corners. Nathan DeWitte provided an RBI single to plate the first run before Rucker came around to score on a single up the middle from Alex Caywood. Andrew Thornton singled through the left side to drive in DeWitte before an errant throw from the Eagles' center fielder brought home A. Caywood to make it 4-0 in favor of the Blue and White.
- In the bottom of the 4th, Jackson Rogish singled to right-center with one out before Nick Lagges moved him over 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt. Rucker drove him in the next at-bat as he singled through the left side to give the Generals a five-run lead.
- Bridgewater cut the lead to three in the top of the 5th as a pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out. Trent Holland drove in a run on a fielder's choice before a wild pitch brought in Jakson Walter to make it a 5-2 game.
- A. Caywood drew a seven-pitch walk to start the inning before Thornton reached via an error, putting runners on the corners. Nick Caywood and Oakley Rempel drew back-to-back walks to load the bases and drive in A. Caywood before Camdyn Teague reached on a fielder's choice to give the Generals a 7-2 lead. N. Caywood scored in the next at-bat as Jackson Rogish singled on a swinging bunt to put W&L up by six runs.
- The Blue and White's lead expanded to nine in the bottom of the 6th as A. Caywood roped a triple into the right-center field gap before scoring on a Thornton single to center field. A pair of walks and a fielder's choice loaded the bases for the Generals before Rogish knocked in a pair of runs with a single through the left side to put W&L up 11-2.
- Bridgewater got two back in the 7th as consecutive singles from Walter and Nick Stavros put a pair on before Ashton Smith singled through the left side to drive in Walter. Branson Hensley made it a seven-run game as he singled to left field.
- With two outs in the top of the 8th, Walter and Stavros provided back-to-back singles before they both came around to score on an error in center field to cut the Generals' lead to 11-6.
- The Blue and White got both of those runs back in the bottom of the 8th as Rogish walked with two outs before swiping second to put himself into scoring position. On a 1-2 count, Lagges tee'd one up and smoked it down the left field line for a two-run home run to push the Generals in front 13-6.
- Ashton Smith reached second base in the 9th via an error to start the inning before Bryce Suters drove him in with a single to center field. Nathan DeWitte struck Jack Hayes out swinging to secure their third ranked win of the season.
W&L GAME NOTES
- The Generals improved to 9-6-1 on the season with a 4-3-1 mark in ODAC play. The win also marked their third win over a ranked opponent at Cap'n Dick Smith Field this season.
- Jackson Rogish led the Generals' offense with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate with a walk and three RBI. Alex Caywood, Andrew Thornton and Nick Lagges each had two hits in the win with Lagges blasting a two-run home run.
- Eric Jacobsen (3-0) picked up his third win of the season after allowing two runs on two hits in five innings of work with seven strikeouts. Brody Pasieka and Nathan DeWitte each provided two innings for the Generals, combining for three strikeouts.
BRIDGEWATER GAME NOTES
- Bridgewater's three-game winning streak came to a close with the loss, falling to 15-3 on the season with an 0-3 mark in conference play.
- Jakson Walter led the Eagles with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate with three runs while Bryce Suters, Ashton Smith, Branson Hensley, and Trent Holland each had an RBI.
- Lucas Cash (3-1) was tagged with his first loss of the season after allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits in 3.2 innings of work.
UP NEXT
- The Generals are back on the road on Saturday, Mar. 21 as they take on Hampden-Sydney College in a conference doubleheader. Game one is slated for Noon with game two to follow at roughly 3 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.
