TYSONS, Va. – A rain delay caused the second elimination game with Roanoke from Friday night until Saturday morning. On Thursday, Roanoke took game one against the Hornets on a walk-off wild pitch after Shenandoah jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Roanoke fought back with 10 unanswered runs forcing the Hornets to tie the game in the top of the ninth.
Nick Bell took the ball for the Hornets and went 3.1 innings, giving up 10 hits and six runs. Anthony Arrichello went the next 4.1 innings, the longest of his career, before
Jacob Gilbert got the final out in the eighth.
Pearce Bucher,
Chandler Ballenger, and
Brody Pickette were the only Hornets with multiple hits while
Gavin Horning was the only Hornet with multiple RBI. This was the first game in which the Hornets failed to score double-digit runs in the ODAC Tournament as Shenandoah fell 9-5 to Roanoke. Shenandoah will now have to wait and see their post-season fate as they will have to be an at-large bid into regionals.
Winning Pitcher: Wes Hellings (2-1)
Losing Pitcher:
Nick Bell (3-4)
Save: Brae Farrell (1)
Top Numbers:
Frankie Ritter: 1-5, 2 runs scored, 1 double (second all-time Division III hits)
Chandler Ballenger: 2-5
Gavin Horning: 1-1, 2 runs scored, 2 RBI, 2 walks, 2 sac fly
Pearce Bucher: 3-5
Brody Pickette: 2-4, 1 run scored, 1 RBI, 1 home run
Anthony Arrichiello: 4.1 IP, 4 hits, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 strikeouts
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Hornets were retired to start the game, with all three going down on strikes.
- Nick Bell got the start for the Hornets and got the first batter out on a weak ground ball back to him before surrendering a single back up the middle. A line drive through the left side put two runners on. A pop-up to second, caught by House was the second out of the inning before getting the final out with his first strikeout.
- Gavin Horning drew a leadoff walk in the second. Pearce Bucher golfed a ball into the gap in left center, and Horning advanced to third with nobody out. Connor Houser flew out to right center, deep enough for Horning to tag and give the Hornets a 1-0 lead. Brody Pickette had a check-swing single up the middle to put two on, and Matt House put a good swing on a ball toward left, but Roanoke made the catch to get out of the inning.
- Two ground balls to Ritter started the second for the Maroons. A two-out triple to deep center, was a stranded runner, as Bell got a ground ball to Bucher to end the inning.
- Frankie Ritter started the inning by reaching on an error. Jaime Padilla got the sacrifice bunt down, but he reached on an error to put two runners on. Chandler Ballenger reached on a fielder's choice as he was robbed on a line drive up the middle that was dropped, but Ritter went to third. Gavin Horning flew out to right field, deep enough to score Ritter. The Hornets took a 2-0 lead to the third.
- Matt House started the third with a fantastic sliding play into center field to beat the leadoff batter by a step. Bell got an easy fly to center for the second out of the game before giving up a solo shot with two outs. A single through the left side was the second consecutive hit for the Maroons. A third straight hit for Roanoke put runners on the corners before Pearce Bucher made a diving catch to end the inning.
- For the second inning in the game, the Hornets went down in order as they took the 2-1 lead into the bottom of the fourth.
- Roanoke tied the game on the first pitch of the fourth with a home run to left field that just snuck over the fence. The Maroons had back-to-back singles to put two runners on with nobody out. Bell fought back to pick up a strikeout for the first out of the inning. A failed pick-off at first moved both runners into scoring position. A walk loaded the bases before a double down the left field line scored two runs and gave Roanoke their first lead. Anthony Arrichiello took over for Bell and entered the game with two runners in scoring position and only one out. A walk loaded the bases for the Maroons. A single plated two more runs for the Maroons, but the Hornets got an out at third with a runner trying to take an extra base on an overthrow. The Hornets got out of the inning with a ground ball back to short, but not before Roanoke took a 6-2 lead.
- Roanoke had a shutdown inning retiring the Hornets three up, three down in the fifth.
- Arrichiello got the first two outs on strikes before getting a fly ball to center as the Hornets sent the Maroons down in order, for the first time.
- A line drive to left hung in the air long enough for the fielder to make the catch for the first out of the inning. With one out Gavin Horning blooped a single to left before Bucher blooped a single to right. A wild pitch moved Horning to third, but a hit by a pitch loaded the bases. Haden Madagan roped a single to the outfield to score Horning, as the Hornets still had the bases loaded, chasing the Maroons' pitcher from the game. Roanoke got the final two outs of the inning as the Hornets left the bases loaded.
- A leadoff single to left for Roanoke started the sixth. A ground ball up the middle erased the runner, as the Hornets turned the double play. Arrichiello got out of the inning with a grounder back to Ritter for the final out.
- Frankie Ritter lined a double to left to start the seventh, and with one out, Ballenger lined a ball to center to put runners on the corners. Gavin Horning picked up his second sac fly of the game to drive in Ritter and make it a 6-4 game. With two outs, Pearce Bucher singled to put two runners on, but the runners were stranded as the Hornets got one back.
- A one-out walk put a runner on for the Maroons in the seventh. The walk comes back to bite the Hornets as a Roanoke got the two runs back with a home run over the left field wall. Ritter caught a popup in center field for the second out of the inning before Arrichiello got the final out with a strikeout.
- With one out Brody Pickette kept the Hornets in the game with a home run into the party pavilion in the outfield before Matt House singled up the middle. Ritter reached on a fielder's choice and switched places with House, but was stranded as Roanoke got out of the inning.
- A leadoff single and hit by pitch, put the first two runners on in the eighth for the Maroons. A ground ball to second was a fielder's choice as the Hornets got the runner at second, as runners were now on the corners. A sac fly to right made it back to a four-run game with the runner scoring from third. Roanoke stole second with two outs in the inning but drew a walk to put two runners bringing Jacob Gilbert into the game. The first batter Gilbert faced walked to load the bases for the Maroons but got the final out of the inning.
- Chandler Ballenger led the inning off with a single up the middle before Gavin Horning walked on four pitches. With one out, Houser grounded out moving the runners into scoring position. The comeback fell short as Roanoke got the final out and secured the win.
UP NEXT:
The Hornets have been eliminated from the ODAC Tournament and their fate now lies in the NCAA committee as they wait for an at-large bid to a regional site. Make sure to check out
www.suhornets.com for the latest up-to-date information regarding post-season play.
#GoSUHornets
