WINCHESTER, Va. – Shenandoah University split its third straight USA South Conference baseball series Sunday afternoon, defeating NC Wesleyan 9-7 in 10 innings before the Bishops came back to win 2-0 in the nightcap.

The Hornets (11-7, 3-5 USA South) game one victory came in the most dramatic fashion – senior David Jenkins tied the contest at 6-6 with a solo homerun in the bottom of the ninth before hitting a three-run walk-off home run in the 10th.

The Bishops (20-11, 5-5) offered too much Blake Rice in game two. Rice (3-3) and Jonathan Lucas combined to throw a two-hit shutout at SU and salvage the split of the double dip. Rice allowed just a pair of third inning singles before Lucas got the final six outs.

Shenandoah managed to get the winning run to the plate in the ninth inning, but Lucas got pinch hitter Drue Vernon to fly out to center to end the contest.

The game one comeback ruined a strong NCWC start. Coach Charlie Long's club scored five runs in the first two innings of game one and led the entire contest until Jenkins took the 1-0 pitch over the leftfield wall off of Bishops reliever Justin Batts (1-3).

Batts, the team's starting catcher, had come on to start tenth in relief of Ben Pearson. Pearson allowed six runs (four earned) on nine hits and one walk before turning it over to his closer for the final three outs.

Fortunately for the home fans, Shenandoah had other ideas for Batts. Senior Ryan Anderson drew a leadoff walk and after he was sacrificed to second, Scott Van Dusseldorp also walked to put the winning run on base.

This brought Jenkins to the plate, and after taking the first pitch, he rocked Batts' second offering over left-field wall for the game-winning HR.

Jenkins' second home run, his third of the season, made a winner of sophomore Gage Levac. Levac (1-0) allowed one run on two hits in the 10th, his only inning of action.

Junior Taylor DuFrene started and pitched the first 8 2/3 before Nathan Fewell got the last Bishops out of the ninth. DuFrene gave up six runs (five earned) on nine hits while striking out four.

Anderson finished the game 3-for-4 with one run batted in while Jenkins drove in four with his two dingers.

Batts led NCWC with three RBI on his first inning three-run home run with Joel Creef and Mark Wooten each getting two hits. Nathan West was 4-for-4 in the nightcap and had the game's only RBI on a sixth inning single. NC Wesleyan had scored the initial run of the game on a fielder's choice at third base that eventually went for an error.

Box Scores 

Shenandoah hosts Mount Aloysius Monday afternoon at 3:00 in a non-league doubleheader.