WINCHESTER, Va. – The Shenandoah University baseball team returned to action in a game that was moved up a day due to impending weather in Winchester. The Hornets welcomed the Mount Aloysius Mounties to town and snapped their two-game losing streak with a dominant 17-7 victory.

Shenandoah (8-4) was led by Liam Cook, who went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Haden Madagan had a historic day, going 2-for-4 while reaching the 200-hit milestone, tying him for 10th all-time in program history. He also belted a towering grand slam, bringing his career home run total to 30, which is tied for second in program history. Christian Carver and Carl Keenan each recorded doubles, with Carver's coming with the bases loaded, clearing the bases for three RBIs.

The Hornets utilized a pitching-by-committee approach. Blaine Griffin earned his first win of the season, pitching 2.0 innings while allowing two hits and two runs and striking out three.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Griffin started strong, retiring the first two batters before surrendering a hard-hit single up the middle. He bounced back with a strikeout to end the inning. In the bottom of the first, Noah Cornwell drew a lead off walk and advanced to second on a ground ball. Connor Houser also walked before Cook delivered an RBI single through the left side. After Madagan walked to load the bases, Carver delivered a three-run double to left-center, giving the Hornets an early 4-0 lead.

The Mounties responded in the second, loading the bases via two hit batters and a walk. They managed to score two runs on an infield single before Griffin ended the threat with a strikeout.

Keenan led off the bottom of the second with a ground-rule double, prompting a Mount Aloysius pitching change. Cole Ambrosius walked, and Cornwell followed with an RBI single, advancing to second on an error. Jaime Padilla added another single to put runners on the corners, forcing another pitching change. The Hornets tacked on five runs in the inning, with Cook picking up his second hit in as many frames. By the end of the second, Shenandoah led 9-2.

Braden Landis entered in the third and retired the Mounties in order. In the bottom half, the Hornets loaded the bases again before Madagan launched a towering grand slam. Shenandoah continued its offensive onslaught, pushing across another run to extend the lead to 15-2.

Jacob Gilbert took the mound in the fourth and quickly recorded two outs before surrendering a walk and two hits, allowing Mount Aloysius to get a run back, making it a 15-3 game. The Hornets answered in their half of the inning with three consecutive singles, as Madagan picked up his fifth RBI of the day.

Jackson Sherman took over in the fifth, but the Mounties managed to score four runs on four hits, including a home run, cutting the deficit to 16-7. The Hornets responded with another run in their half when Anthony Arrichiello and Houser both walked with two outs, setting up an RBI single from Cook to push the lead to 17-7.

Orion Marshall pitched a scoreless sixth inning, striking out two batters.

Liam Stewart was called upon to close out the game in the seventh. He induced a weak ground out, issued a walk, struck out one batter, and got the final out on a ground ball to third. With the new 10-run rule in effect, the Hornets secured the 17-7 victory.

UP NEXT

The Hornets hit the road for the first time this season, opening conference play in Ashland with a two-game series at Randolph-Macon.

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