WINCHESTER, Va. – No. 17 Shenandoah University captured game one of its ODAC Baseball Tournament semi-final series versus Eastern Mennonite with a 12-1 victory Saturday afternoon.
The Hornets (29-9 and the tournament's fourth seed) scored at least one run in five of the first innings to take a commanding lead over EMU (9-14).
IN DEPTH
Shenandoah once again combined the long ball with an outstanding pitching performance to cruise to a series-opening victory.
Haden Madagan and
Colby Martin hit home runs while starting pitcher
Tad Dean allowed one run on seven hits in an eight-inning performance.
Dean (6-1) walked two and struck out five in a 100-pitch performance.
The Shenandoah offense gave Dean all of the support he would need with a four-run first.
Martin, the ODAC Player of the Year, got the two-out rally started with a single through the left side and then stole second base. Taking third on a throwing error on the steal, Martin scampered home on a passed ball during
Pearce Bucher's at-bat.
Bucher, and
Keegan Woolford, the batter previous to Bucher, both reached via base on balls.
Madagan brought both of them home with a three-run home run off the scoreboard in left center. The dinger was Madagan's seventh of the year.
One inning later, Martin made it 7-0 with a three-run shot of his own.
Matt Moon and
Grant Thompson scored ahead of Martin.
The Hornets added two runs in the third, one in the fifth, and two in the sixth to provide the final margin of victory.
Martin and Madagan both had three hits in the win with
Kooper Anderson adding two.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the Royals.
UP NEXT
These two teams play game two this afternoon in a 4 p.m. start.
###
