VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Following a 10-day hiatus due to final exams, the Washington and Lee University baseball team dropped a pair of conference games at Virginia Wesleyan University on Saturday.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1 (L, 3-5):
- After a scoreless first frame, the Generals (17-11-1, 10-8-1 ODAC) struck first in the second inning as Ian Weber drew a five-pitch walk. Jonathan French followed with a single to put two on before Ryan McGovern drove in Weber from second to give W&L a 1-0 lead.
- The Marlins (19-15, 9-8 ODAC) responded in the bottom half of the inning as Nick Valentin drew a walk before Marcell Whitfield reached on a throwing error to put runners in scoring position. With two outs, Darius Walston singled through the right side to bring both runners home and give VWU a 2-1 lead.
- Virginia Wesleyan added two more runs in the third inning as Ty James led off with a single and moved up on a wild pitch. He scored on a Gino Meienschein single before Valentin added another base hit. Whitfield then doubled to drive in a run and extend the Marlins' lead to 4-1.
- Both teams were held scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings, but VWU pushed its lead to four in the sixth. Ryan Dobrinsky and James Tassone were both hit by pitches to start the inning, and a Walston ground out brought in another run to make it 5-1.
- The Generals got one back in the seventh as Nathan DeWitte reached on a fielder's choice following a McGovern single. Alex Caywood reached on a throwing error to put runners on the corners before Camdyn Teague singled through the left side to drive in DeWitte, cutting the deficit to 5-2.
- W&L threatened in the ninth, loading the bases as A. Caywood reached on a fielder's choice and both Teague and Jackson Rogish drew walks. Nick Caywood brought in a run with a five-pitch walk, but a strikeout ended the rally, securing a 5-3 win for the Marlins.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2 (L, 3-10):
- The Marlins scored the first run of game two in the bottom of the second as Dobrinsky doubled down the left-field line before scoring on a James Tassone single to take an early 1-0 lead.
- Virginia Wesleyan added three more in the third after loading the bases with a walk and two singles. Perez Mendez drove in Meienschein with a single before a hit-by-pitch and a sacrifice fly plated two more runs to give the Marlins a 4-0 advantage.
- In the top of the fourth, Teague singled to start the inning before N. Caywood reached on a fielding error to put runners on the corners. Thornton drove in Teague with a single to left field to cut the deficit to three.
- VWU answered in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three runs on four hits to extend the lead to 7-1. Back-to-back singles set the table before Valentin blasted a three-run home run to break the game open.
- The Marlins added to their lead in the eighth as Meienschein doubled to lead off the inning before a hit-by-pitch and a walk loaded the bases. With two outs, Dobrinsky singled up the middle to drive in a pair, and a passed ball on a strikeout brought home another run to make it 10-1.
- W&L pushed across a pair of runs late as McGovern singled before DeWitte reached on a fielder's choice. A. Caywood doubled to right field to put two in scoring position, and DeWitte scored on a throwing error that allowed Rogish to reach, making it 10-2. Teague added an RBI single up the middle in the next at-bat, but two strikeouts ended the threat as the Marlins secured a 10-3 victory.
TOP PERFORMERS:
- Camdyn Teague led the offense with a 4-for-9 (.444) effort at the plate with two RBI and a walk. Ryan McGovern, William Melton and Nathan DeWitte each ahd three hits in the win. Alex Caywood recorded a pair of doubles while drawing two walks.
- Cooper Charneco (3-4) was tagged with the loss in game one after allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits with a walk and five strikeouts in his five innings pitched. Henry Steene (2-2) was credited with the loss in game two after allowing four runs (four earned) on seven hits with two walks and a strikeout in his two innings of work.
UP NEXT:
- The Generals will head to Bridgewater College for their final ODAC game of the season with first pitch against the 13th-ranked Eagles at 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.
