FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Shenandoah University baseball team opened up the 2010 Fayetteville Regional tournament Wednesday morning with an 11-1 win over Bridgewater.
With the win, No. 7/9 Shenandoah (35-8) advances to a 2:30 Thursday contest against York (Pa.). The Spartans lost 6-5 Wednesday night to Mary Washington.
Bridgewater (23-19-1) will face Salisbury at 11 a.m. Thursday morning in an elimination game.
Junior Greg Van Sickler (8-2) allowed seven hits and one run (on a solo HR in the eighth) in 8.0 innings before turning it over to Bobby Stefanowicz for the ninth.
Van Sickler retired the side in the first, third and fourth as he struck out five and walked just one to post his team-best eighth win of the season. He threw just 95 pitches for the game.
The Hornets banged out 19 hits in the victory, including at least one each by eight of the nine starters. Senior Jesse Henry led the hit parade with four hits in five at-bats while Van Sickler and Mike Smith were each 3 for 5 and Keaton Neeb 3 for 4.
Six starters drove in at least one run with senior Jon Holcomb getting this started with a three-run single in the second.
Smith got things started in that second inning with a single up the middle before Neeb doubled to right. Following a strikeout and a Kevin Brashears walk, Holcomb drove in all three men with a single back up the middle.
Shenandoah continued to pour things on by scoring at least one in successive turn at-bat save for the seventh. Coach Kevin Anderson's club scored two runs each in the fourth, sixth and eighth while adding single runs in the third and fifth.
Alex Foltz (6-2) took the loss for the Eagles after allowing seven runs (six earned) on 12 hits in 4 2/3 innings. He was one of five men to take to the mound on day one for BC.
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