WINCHESTER, Va. – The Shenandoah University baseball team started the Mr. V Memorial Classic with an opening day win over Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors by a score of 7-5 Friday morning on
Kevin Anderson Field.
Frankie Ritter paced the Hornets with four hits in four at-bats with an RBI and a walk.
Chandler Ballenger plated two runs while scoring a run himself.
Pearce Bucher, with his 1-4 performance today, has now extended his hitting streak to the first seven games.
Nick Bell got the start for the Hornets and pitched four innings, giving up four hits, and four runs, all earned, walked three, and also struck out three batters but did not factor into the decision.
Jackson Sherman picked up the win for the Hornets, pitching one inning, and giving up no hits, but did walk two batters.
Matt House picked up the save for the Hornets, as the graduate student went 1.1 innings to close out the game.
Winning Pitcher:
Jackson Sherman (1-0)
Losing Pitcher: Nolan Lincoln (0-1)
Save:
Matt House (1)
Top Numbers:
Frankie Ritter: 4-4, 1 run scored, 1 RBI, and a walk
Chandler Ballenger: 2-4, 2 RBI, and a walk
Jonathan Stokely: 2-4, 2 runs scored
Jaime Padilla: 2-3, 2 runs scored
Nick Bell: 4.0 IP, 4 hits, 4 runs, 3 strikeouts, 3 walks
Jackson Sherman: 1 IP, 2 walks
Matt House: 1.1 IP, 1 strikeout, 1 walk
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Nick Bell started strong for the Hornets as he retired the Warriors in the top of the 1
st 1-2-3. Then for the Hornets in the bottom of the inning, Ritter led off with a walk, before
Chandler Ballenger singled through the left side.
Pearce Bucher lined out to the center fielder, to put two runners on with two outs.
Haden Madagan singled to center field, and was able to advance to second on the throw from the outfield, allowing Ritter to score easily. As Ballenger was heading to the third, the throw came in from the outfield, bounced off of the grad student, and went into the dugout allowing the second run of the inning.
ECSU got both of those runs back in the second after a leadoff double and took advantage of a of a walk and a wild pitch. However, Shenandoah quickly took the lead back in the bottom half of the inning with four straight hits from Stokely, Pickette, Padilla, and Ritter. The Hornets could not capitalize any further, as they had bases loaded with nobody out.
In the fourth, ECSU took their first lead of the game after Bell retired the first two batters quickly. However, back-to-back walks and a double, gave the Warriors the lead 4-3 heading to the bottom of the fourth.
In the bottom, the Hornets regained the lead after a leadoff single from
Jonathan Stokely. Jamie Padilla singled, followed by another hit from Ritter to load the bases once again.
Chandler Ballenger delivered a single to right field to plate Padilla and Stokely. In this back-and-forth contest, ECSU tied the game once again in the top of the fifth as Ricky Synder took the mound for the Hornets.
In the sixth for the Hornets,
Brody Pickette led the inning off with a walk, and Jamie Padilla reached on an error as he laid down a sacrifice bunt.
Frankie Ritter, who was a menace on the basepaths all game, put down a beautiful bunt to load the bases again for the Hornets.
Gavin Horning took a first-pitch fastball off the hands to give SU a 6
-5 lead.
Chandler Ballenger grounded into a double play but was still able to give the Hornets an insurance run heading to the final innings.
Braden Landis came in and pitched a scoreless seventh, only giving up one hit. And then after walking two and retiring two batters in the eighth, Landis was lifted for
Matt House who came in for the last four outs of the game.
UP NEXT
The Hornets will be back in action on Saturday morning for the start of day two of the Mr. V Memorial Classic when they take on Susquehanna at 11 am before squaring off with Eastern Connecticut State again in the night cap.
#GoSUHornets
