HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Shenandoah University baseball team hit the road Tuesday to wrap up its season series with Eastern Mennonite University. The Hornets (23-13, 13-7) came out on the wrong side of a 13–3 result, settling for a series split with the Royals.
Shenandoah grabbed an early 2–0 lead in the top of the first inning, but EMU answered with four runs in the bottom half and continued to build on that lead to secure the 13–3 win in eight innings.
Brody Pickette went 4-for-4 at the plate with a double and all three RBI for the Hornets. Jaime Padilla also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a walk. Noah Cornwell, Haden Madagan, and Cole Ambrosius each added a hit.
Nick Bell started for the Hornets and went 3.1 innings, giving up 10 hits and seven runs. John Richmond followed with 1.2 innings, surrendering two hits and one run, along with one walk and one strikeout. Jacob Gilbert tossed the next inning, allowing two hits and one run with one walk and two strikeouts. Orion Marshall pitched a scoreless inning, allowing just one hit. Jackson Sherman threw the final 0.2 innings, giving up three hits and four runs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Shenandoah opened the scoring with Padilla leading off with a single and moving to second on a wild pitch. Kyle Garrett walked, and both runners advanced on a ground out before Pickette delivered a two-RBI double to right field.
In the bottom of the first, EMU responded immediately. Bell allowed a double and a single to cut the lead in half, then gave up another double to put two runners in scoring position. A three-run home run followed, giving the Royals a 4–2 lead.
After both teams went quietly in the third, EMU added another run in the second following back-to-back singles and an RBI base hit, pushing the score to 5–2.
Shenandoah had a scoring opportunity in the fourth after Pickette and Madagan singled, but EMU got out of the jam. The Royals extended their lead to 7–2 in the bottom of the inning after back-to-back hits and a pair of wild pitches.
The Hornets added a run in the fifth. Padilla walked and moved to second on a ground out before Cornwell walked. Pickette drove in Padilla with a single, making it 7–3, but the inning ended when Cornwell was tagged out in a rundown.
EMU responded with two more runs in the sixth. After a leadoff single and wild pitch, Gilbert allowed a pair of singles and a run-scoring ground out, stretching the lead to 9–3.
Marshall held the Royals scoreless in the seventh, picking off a runner to end the inning. Shenandoah's offense showed life in the eighth with singles from Cornwell and Pickette, but a double play ended the rally.
EMU walked it off in the eighth with four runs, capitalizing on three hits, a walk, and a throwing error. A sacrifice fly sealed the 13–3 run-rule victory for the Royals.
UP NEXT
The Hornets are back on the field Wednesday to wrap up their road trip with a non conference match up at Mary Washington. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
#GoSUHornets
