Winchester, Va. – The Shenandoah University baseball team returned to the win column with a commanding 16-5 win over Eastern Mennonite. The Hornets (13-6, 5-1) were led by Noah Cornwell's three home runs and six RBIs, while Connor Houser went 3-for-4 with two singles and a solo shot following Cornwell's second blast. Kyle Garrett also contributed three RBIs, going 2-for-3 with a double.
Brody Pickette, Carl Keenan, Haden Madagan, and Christian Carver all recorded two hits for the Hornets. Continuing their pitching-by-committee approach, Shenandoah started Anthony Arrichiello, who pitched three innings, allowing five hits, three runs (two earned), and three walks. Orion Marshall followed with 2.1 innings, surrendering one hit and striking out three. Joey Mitchell added 0.2 innings with a strikeout, while Carl Keenan closed the game, giving up two hits, two runs, and two walks in the final frame.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Arrichiello took the mound for the Hornets and encountered early trouble, allowing a lead off double and hitting the next batter. Eastern Mennonite attempted a sacrifice bunt, but the batter fouled out to Pickette. After a fielder's choice put runners on the corners, the Royals attempted a double steal, but Arrichiello threw out the runner at home to end the inning. The Hornets managed to put two runners on in the bottom of the first but were unable to score.
The Royals struck first in the second inning. With one out, they strung together back-to-back singles before a double and an outfield error allowed two runs to score, giving EMU a 2-0 lead. Shenandoah responded in the bottom half of the inning. Houser led off with a single up the middle, followed by a Madagan single to right. Garrett then doubled to right-center, scoring both runners to tie the game. Garrett later moved to third and scored on two wild pitches, giving the Hornets a 3-2 lead.
EMU tied the game in the third after a lead off single and a walk. The Royals attempted another double steal, and while Pickette threw out the runner at second, the lead runner advanced to third. A ground out to short brought home the tying run. However, Shenandoah answered immediately. Cornwell led off the bottom of the third with his first home run of the game. Singles from Pickette and Houser followed, and a sacrifice bunt from Madagan advanced the runners. Matthew Atchley hit a deep fly out to score Pickette, and Garrett singled to right to plate Houser, extending the lead to 6-3.
Marshall took over on the mound in the fourth after a lead off base runner. The Hornet bats then erupted in the bottom half of the inning. Jaime Padilla was hit by a pitch, and Keenan reached on an infield single. Cornwell then blasted his second home run of the game, a three-run shot. Pickette reached on an error before Houser crushed a two-run homer for the second long ball of the inning, making it an 11-3 game.
Marshall worked a scoreless fifth, allowing just a two-out walk. The Hornets continued to pile on in the bottom of the inning, as Carver led off with a single, followed by a Padilla single. Keenan's ground out scored Carver, setting up Cornwell's third home run of the night, pushing the lead to 14-3.
Marshall started the sixth but issued two walks, and got a strike out before being relieved by Joey Mitchell, who retired the final two batters of the inning. The Hornets tacked on two insurance runs in the bottom half, as Garrett was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Carver singled through the right side, advancing Garrett to third. Padilla's deep fly out scored Garrett, and Keenan laced a double down the right-field line before Pickette reached on an infield single to score Carver.
Keenan took the mound for the final frame, surrendering back-to-back singles before issuing consecutive walks that brought in a run. The Royals added another on a sacrifice fly, but Keenan induced the final two outs to secure the 16-5 victory.
UP NEXT
The Hornets travel to Danville this weekend for a series against Averett, with the opener set for Friday and the series wrapping up on Saturday.
#GoSUHornets
