VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The No. 14/29 Shenandoah University baseball team wrapped up the No. 4 seed at the upcoming ODAC Tournament by splitting a doubleheader at Virginia Wesleyan Saturday afternoon.
Shenandoah (28-10, 14-6 ODAC) came back to win 7-5 in the nightcap after VWU (25-12, 15-5) rallied for a 6-5, 11 inning victory in the opener.
Grant Thompson and Keegan Woolford both drove in two runs in game two with Thompson and Christian Rice each getting two hits.
SU scored five runs in the first and two in the sixth to provide itself with enough offense to salvage the split.
Robert Klinchock (5-3) got the win, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits and three walks in 5.0 innings.
Jonathan Dance pitched the final four innings to earn his first save. He allowed two hits and walked three against three strikeouts. In the ninth, with the tying run on second, Dance struck out the final two batters to close out the Marlins.
Woolford hit home runs in both ends of the doubleheader – he had a two-run shot in the sixth in game two after hitting a three-run HR in the third inning of game one.
Shenandoah had 11 hits in game one, including Woolford's three-run HR, but gave up a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the 11th to lose 6-5.
The Marlins got the game-winning run on a single, a walk and a throwing error that allowed both the tying and winning runs to score.
Colin Morse had nine strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings while giving up four runs on four hits and three walks.
Thompson, batting in the leadoff spot for the first time all season, was 4-for-4 with two RBI. Woolford had three RBI on the 3-run home run with Christian Rice getting three hits and Chase Smallwood two.
Shenandoah is off until hosting fifth-seeded Hampden-Sydney Friday in the opening game of the ODAC Tournament. The Hornets and Tigers will play a best-of-three series Friday and Saturday.
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