LYNCHBURG, Va. – No. 17 Shenandoah University moved to within one win of its third straight ODAC baseball championship with a 12-5 win over Lynchburg Friday afternoon in game one of the best-of-three championship series.
 
Shenandoah (31-9) battled back from a 4-0 deficit with a four-run third before breaking the game open with a five-spot in the seventh.

IN BRIEF

SU scored its five runs in the seventh on just three hits as Lynchburg (32-13) issued three bases loaded walks and hit another batter with the bases loaded. Catcher Matt Moon had the only RBI hit of the frame as he brought home Haden Madagan with a single through the left side.
 
Madagan, Jackson Foreman, and Frankie Ritter drove in runs by drawing bases on balls while Henry Delavergne was hit by a pitch to bring one another run.
 
The outburst made winner of Ethan Laird, who got his first career victory with 2 2/3 innings of relief work. Cade Templeton got the final four outs to close out Lynchburg.
 
Grant Thompson, Colby Martin, and Keegan Woolford all had three hits for the victors with Woolford, Madagan, and Pearce Bucher driving in two runs each.
 
Grayson Thurman, the second of six Lynchburg pitchers, took the loss. Thurman (4-3) allowed five runs on two hits, two walks and a hit batsman in 2/3 of an inning of work.

UP NEXT

Game two is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start.

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