WINCHESTER, Va. – No. 23 Shenandoah University reached the 20-win mark Saturday by sweeping an ODAC baseball doubleheader from arch-rival Randolph-Macon.
Shenandoah (20-8-1, 7-4-1 ODAC) was a 7-6 winner in the opener before completing the sweep over the Yellow Jackets (17-7, 6-4) with an 8-6 victory in the nightcap.
GAME ONE RECAP
The Hornets broke open a 2-2 game with a four-run seventh and scored the eventual winning run in the eighth on their way to the 7-6 victory.
Frankie Ritter had the game-winning RBI on a groundout to score
Haden Madagan from third. Madagan led off the SU eighth with a double to right center and was sacrificed to third.
In the ninth, R-MC scored a pair runs on one hit before
Carson Kulina slammed the door shut by inducting a game-ending foul out to third.
Jacob Bell (2-0) got the win with 3 1/3 innings of relief work. He gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits while striking out eighth. Coming on for starter
Reilly Owen midway through the fourth, Bell got a foul out to end that frame and then proceeded to strike out the next seven batters.
That streak ended with one out in the seventh but Bell still faced the minimum in the frame as the runner at first was caught stealing before Bell recorded his eighth strikeout of the game to end the inning.
Ritter, Madagan,
Gavin Horning, and
Pearce Bucher all had two hits with
Ryan Clawson driving in a pair.
GAME TWO RECAP
A seven-run first proved to be enough offense for Shenandoah to complete the sweep in the 8-6 victory.
Bucher and Horning both drove in two runs in that seven-run inning as the Hornets sent 11 men to the plate and chased R-MC starter Cam Furman nine batters into the contest.
Macon made a game of it with a run in the second along with two runs each in the fourth and sixth, but Shenandoah reliever
Matt Barnes was able to shut down the threat.
Barnes, the third of four SU pitchers in the contest, pitched three innings of relief work and allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out three.
With a runner on second and the tying run at the plate with two outs in the ninth, Shenandoah skipper
Kevin Anderson turned to southpaw
Tad Dean to face the R-MC left-handed batter. Dean needed just three pitches to punch out Carter Johnson and complete the sweep.
The save is Dean's second of the season.
Cade Templeton (1-0) was the winner. He allowed two runs on two hits and three walks in two innings of work.
Kooper Anderson had two hits with the remaining eight Shenandoah starters getting one hit each.
UP NEXT
Shenandoah hosts Mary Washington Wednesday at 4 p.m. in non-league action.
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