WINCHESTER, Va. – The Shenandoah University baseball team defended home field with a conference doubleheader sweep of Hampden-Sydney on Saturday. The Hornets (18-7, 9-2 ODAC) secured a dramatic extra-inning victory in game one before erupting offensively in game two to complete the sweep.
Game One: Shenandoah 3, Hampden-Sydney 2 (11 Innings)
The opener was a tightly contested battle that saw Shenandoah edge out a 3-2 victory in extra innings. Liam Stewart delivered a dominant relief performance, pitching the final 5.0 innings while allowing just one run and striking out three. The game was decided in the bottom of the 11th when Anthony Arrichiello delivered a pinch-hit, walk-off home run to send the Hornets to victory.
Jake Holbert got the start for Shenandoah and worked a scoreless first inning, allowing just a two-out single. In the bottom half, Kyle Garrett reached on a one-out single but was caught stealing before Hampden-Sydney recorded the final out.
The Hornets struck first in the second inning. Brody Pickette led off with a walk and advanced to second on a balk. Cole Ambrosius reached on an infield single, and a throwing error allowed Pickette to advance to third. Christian Carver then delivered an RBI single to bring home Pickette, making it 1-0. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, and a heads-up baserunning play allowed Carver to steal home, extending the lead to 2-0.
The Tigers threatened in the third, drawing two walks, but reliever Dominic D'Ottavio worked out of the jam with a key strikeout. Shenandoah had a chance to add to its lead in the bottom of the inning when Garrett recorded his second hit and Pickette reached on a two-out walk, but both were left stranded.
Jacob Gilbert entered in the fourth inning and pitched two strong frames, working around a pair of singles to keep the lead intact. Orion Marshall followed in the sixth and retired the side in order, marking the first 1-2-3 inning for the Hornets.
However, trouble arose in the seventh. Marshall issued two walks and hit a batter, loading the bases with no outs. Stewart took over and induced a ground ball double play, allowing one run to score. A two-out single then tied the game at 2-2 before Stewart retired the next batter to escape further damage.
Both teams had scoring chances late, with Shenandoah stranding two runners in the eighth. Stewart continued dealing in extra innings, retiring the Tigers in order in the ninth and tenth. In the 11th, Hampden-Sydney put the go-ahead run in scoring position, but Stewart stranded the runner.
In the bottom of the 11th, Arrichiello stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter and launched a walk-off home run to right field, securing the 3-2 victory. Stewart earned the win, marking his first of the season.
Game Two: Shenandoah 13, Hampden-Sydney 7
The second game was a slugfest as Shenandoah's offense exploded for 13 runs on 15 hits, highlighted by four home runs. Jaime Padilla (4-for-5, 4 RBI) and Noah Cornwell (3-for-5, 4 RBI) led the charge, as Brody Pickette added a solo shot going 2-6 on the day with an RBI. Cornwell blasted two home runs on the day to give him 14 home runs for the season.
Blaine Griffin started for the Hornets but ran into early trouble, surrendering a leadoff home run and three additional hits as the Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the first. However, Shenandoah responded immediately. Padilla and Garrett reached on back-to-back infield singles, setting the stage for Cornwell, who blasted a three-run homer to left-center, giving the Hornets a 3-2 lead.
Hampden-Sydney reclaimed the lead in the second with another two-run homer, making it 4-3. Padilla singled again and advanced on a balk, but Shenandoah couldn't push across a run. The Tigers added two more runs in the third after a walk, an infield single, and a miscue on a dropped third strike, extending their lead to 6-3.
The Hornets responded in the bottom of the third. Pickette crushed a solo home run to left-center, and after three consecutive singles from Haden Madagan, Carl Keenan, and Liam Cook, a perfectly executed double steal allowed Shenandoah to tie the game at 6-6.
Joe Gleason entered in the fourth and provided a much-needed shutdown inning, retiring the side in order. In the bottom half, Cornwell struck again, launching his second home run of the game to put Shenandoah ahead 7-6.
In the fifth, Shenandoah's bullpen ran into some trouble, but Braden Landis induced a crucial double play to escape a bases-loaded jam. The Hornets' bats then broke the game open in the bottom of the inning. Keenan and Cook reached base before Padilla delivered a three-run blast, pushing the lead to 10-6.
The Hornets tacked on another run in the seventh when Cornwell walked, and Connor Houser brought home a run with a sacrifice fly. In the eighth, Shenandoah added two more insurance runs. Keenan and Cook led off with singles, and Carver reached on a sacrifice bunt. Padilla then drew a bases-loaded walk, and Garrett followed with a sacrifice fly, making it 13-7.
Ryan Seifert took the mound in the ninth and shut the door with a 1-2-3 inning, securing the victory. Gleason picked up the win in relief, while Seifert recorded his first save of the season.
UP NEXT
Shenandoah will travel to Washington and Lee for a midweek ODAC match up on Wednesday before returning home for a Saturday doubleheader against Guilford.
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