LEXINGTON, Va. – The Shenandoah University baseball team hit the road Wednesday afternoon to wrap up its season series with Washington and Lee. The Hornets (18-8, 9-3) dropped the series finale against the Generals after falling behind 5-0 early in the contest.
The Hornets did not record their first hit until the sixth inning and encountered some challenges on the base paths, including ending two innings on caught stealings and having a sacrifice fly overturned for a double play. Brody Pickette led the offense with two hits, including a three-run home run to cut the deficit to 5-4. Jaime Padilla, Kyle Garrett, Noah Cornwell, Connor Houser, Carl Keenan, Anthony Arrchiello, and Christian Carver each contributed one hit for the Hornets. After being no-hit through five innings, Shenandoah outhit the Generals 9-5 but ultimately came up short.
The Hornets continued their pitching-by-committee approach, utilizing six pitchers throughout the game. Nick Bell and Joey Mitchell were the only two to throw multiple innings.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Bell got the start on the mound and worked a clean 1-2-3 first inning. However, in the second, the Generals took a 2-0 lead following a leadoff walk and an infield single. After a groundout moved both runners into scoring position, a single up the middle drove in two runs.
Shenandoah was retired in order in the third before Jake Holbert entered in the bottom half of the inning. Holbert quickly retired the first two batters but allowed an error and a single to put two runners on. After loading the bases with a walk, the Generals extended their lead on a wild pitch.
Kody Dobyns took over in the fourth and hit the first batter he faced. Two errors allowed another run to score and put runners on the corners. A well-placed safety squeeze added another run, making it 5-0 before Dobyns and the defense escaped further damage.
Jacob Gilbert pitched a perfect fifth inning as the Hornets remained hitless through five frames.
With two outs in the sixth, Shenandoah finally broke through offensively. Carver singled to right field, and Padilla extended his hitting streak to 20 games with a single to left-center. Garrett followed with a two-out walk to load the bases, but the Hornets were unable to capitalize.
Orion Marshall entered in the bottom of the sixth, retiring two batters before allowing a single. However, he ended the inning with a groundout to keep the deficit at 5-0.
In the seventh, Shenandoah's offense came alive. Pickette led off with a double, followed by a single from Houser. Haden Madagan reached on an error, bringing home the Hornets' first run. Keenan singled to load the bases, but an out at home plate and a controversial appeal on a sacrifice fly left the Hornets down 5-1.
Mitchell took the mound in the bottom of the seventh and retired the Generals in order. In the eighth, Garrett singled with one out before Cornwell launched a deep double off the wall, just missing a home run. Pickette followed with a three-run blast to left, cutting the deficit to 5-4 and forcing the Generals to go to the bullpen. The new pitcher hit Houser on the first pitch, but a pop-out and a caught stealing ended the rally.
Mitchell returned for the eighth, allowing a bloop single to start the frame. Madagan made a highlight-reel diving catch in right-center to prevent extra bases before Mitchell recorded a strikeout. The Generals stole second, but Mitchell escaped the inning unscathed.
In the ninth, Arrchiello led off with a single up the middle and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Liam Cook. However, Shenandoah's comeback bid fell short as Padilla's deep drive was caught for the final out.
UP NEXT
The Hornets will look to return to the win column this weekend when they host Guilford for a weekend series starting Saturday.
#GoSUHornets
