WINCHESTER, Va. – The Shenandoah Hornets split a weekend series with Roanoke on Sunday afternoon at
Kevin Anderson Field at Bridgeforth Stadium. The Hornets (19-8, 8-6) took game one with a
Jaime Padilla walk-off single in the ninth to win 3-2, before falling in the night cap 7-3. In game one,
Jacob Bell went 8 innings, striking out 7 and only giving up two runs.
Jaime Padilla was 3-5 with the walk-off hit in the ninth, while
Pearce Bucher went 3-4. In game number two,
Nick Bell got the start and went 6 innings pitched, striking out five Maroons while surrendering four runs.
Chandler Ballenger was 2-4, along with
Pearce Bucher,
Connor Houser, and
Brody Pickette.
Frankie Ritter was 2-5 and now moves to within one hit from tying the all-time D3 baseball hit record.
Game One:
Winning Pitcher:
Joey Mitchell (4-0)
Losing Pitcher: Gardner Meeks (2-1)
Top Numbers:
Jaime Padilla: 3-5, 1 run scored, 1 RBI, 1 SB
Pearce Bucher: 3-4, 1 RBI
Anthony Arrichiello: 1-1, 1 run scored
Connor Houser: 1-1 2B
Jacob Bell: 8 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 2 ER, 7 strikeouts
Joey Mitchell: winning pitcher, 1 strikeout
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Jacob Bell cruised through the first inning by getting a double play after giving up a one-out single.
- Hornets got on the board in the first with Frankie Ritter singling to center field. Jaime Padilla followed that up with a single to put two runners on. After a double steal, Chandler Ballenger hit a sacrifice fly to right to put the Hornets up 1-0.
- Bell was the beneficiary of another inning-ending double play.
- Brody Pickette doubled in the second but was stranded in scoring position.
- In the third, Bell struck out two batters before giving up a two-out single but got the final out on a lineout to Ritter.
- Gavin Horning walked in the third with two outs, and then stole second, but once again got stranded in scoring position.
- Bell retired the side again in order in the fourth.
- Pearce Bucher led the fourth off with a single and advanced to second on a balk, but again the Hornets stranded the runner in scoring position.
- No problems for Bell in the fifth, but the Hornets were retired in order during their half-inning.
- For the third straight inning, Jacob Bell retired the Maroons in order.
- Roanoke got on the board in the seventh after a leadoff single and then a home run over the left field fence, but Bell bounced back to get the next three batters.
- Connor Houser pinch hit for Luke Keister and doubled to left center, but again that runner was stranded on second as the Maroons now led 2-1 going to the eighth.
- In the eighth, Bell surrendered a two-out single but got the final batter he faced out with a strikeout.
- In the eighth, Jaime Padilla singled up the middle to leadoff the inning. Horning sacrificed him to second before Ballenger grounded out to advance the runner to third. Pearce Bucher legged out an infield single to allow Padilla to score to tie the game.
- Joey Mitchell came in the ninth to shut down the Maroons in order, to give the Hornets a chance.
- In the ninth, Anthony Arrichiello entered as a pinch hitter and doubled to left field. Pickette was not able to get the sacrifice bunt down, so Arrichiello remained on second. The Maroons intentionally walked Frankie Ritter to bring up Padilla who singled to centerfield to score Arrichello for the walk-off run.
Game Two:
Winning Pitcher: Jackson Murphy (2-2)
Losing Pitcher:
Nick Bell (2-1)
Top Numbers:
Connor Houser: 2-4, 1 run scored
Jaime Padilla: 1-4, 1 run scored, 1 2B
Chandler Ballenger: 2-4, 1 RBI, 1 2B
Frankie Ritter: 2-5
Brody Pickette: 2-4, 1 run scored, 1 RBI, 1 home run
Jackson Foreman: 1-1, 1 RBI, 1 2B
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Nick Bell got the first two batters with a strikeout, before surrendering a two-out walk, but got the final out of the inning.
- Frankie Ritter singled to lead off the game but was erased on a double play.
- Bell worked around a one-out single to get the next two batters to escape any damage.
- In the second, Pearce Bucher singled but once again the Hornets stranded the runner again.
- Bell gave up a leadoff single, but then that runner was eliminated trying to steal second and again left the Maroons scoreless.
- Brody Pickette led the third off with a home run to left center on a ball that went over the scoreboard. The Hornets picked up another hit from Ritter, but could not capitalize.
- The Maroons took advantage of two walks before Bell surrendered a double and a groundout up the middle for the Maroons to take a 2-1 lead.
- Pearce Bucher picked up a hit in the fourth and advanced to second on a failed pick-off, but the theme of the day was stranding runners in scoring position.
- In the sixth, the Maroons added two more runs to take a 4-1 lead off of three hits. Roanoke had a double and single back-to-back before a walk loaded the bases. A fielder's choice and a single plated the two runs for Roanoke.
- Shenandoah got one back in the sixth after back-to-back doubles from Padilla and Ballenger.
- Anthony Arrichiello came in for Bell in the seventh and had a ball heading straight for Ballenger at first, but it kicked off the bag and bounced over his head for a leadoff double. Roanoke singled through the left side but Haden Madagan through the runner out at the plate to save a run. Unfortunately, Roanoke hit a three-run shot to break the game open 7-2.
- Connor Houser and Brody Pickette picked up singles in the seventh, but the Hornets could not find the third hit to score the run.
- In the eighth, Chandler Ballenger singled but was stranded. The Hornets got another run in the ninth with a leadoff hit from Connor Houser and Madagan reaching on an error to put two runners on with no one out. With Houser on third, Jackson Foreman hit a pinch-hit double but then Ritter flew out to center to end the game.
UP NEXT:
It is another busy week for the Hornets as they will continue conference play on the road on Tuesday traveling to Bridgewater for the second game in that series, before hosting Mary Washington on Wednesday and welcoming Randolph-Macon on Saturday.
#GoSUHornets
