WINCHESTER, Va. – The Shenandoah University baseball team started their final conference series by welcoming the fourth-ranked University of Lynchburg to Winchester for a battle of the Hornets. Shenandoah (25-13, 14-7) led wire to wire to knock off the No. 4 Lynchburg Hornets, 8-2.
Joey Mitchell went the first 5.0 innings, picking up his second win of the season. He gave up five hits, one run, struck out four, and walked two. Jacob Gilbert pitched the next 2.0 innings, giving up one hit, one run, two walks, and one strikeout. Liam Stewart went the final two innings, giving up three hits, no runs, striking out three, and issuing one walk.
Haden Madagan led the way offensively, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored, three RBI, and a home run. Kyle Garrett and Carl Keenan each had two hits. Garrett scored a run and hit a double, while Keenan was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a double. Noah Cornwell added another long ball, blasting his 15th home run of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Joey Mitchell got the start on the mound and after getting the first batter to ground out, gave up a hit and a hit by pitch. Mitchell struck out the next batter, then allowed another single before Anthony Arrichiello threw out a runner at the plate to keep the game scoreless.
In the bottom of the first, Shenandoah struck first. Jaime Padilla singled to right, Kyle Garrett doubled down the right field line, and Noah Cornwell was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Brody Pickette walked to bring in the first run of the game. After a strikeout, Madagan singled to make it 2-0. Lynchburg escaped the inning with a double play.
In the top of the second, Mitchell worked out of a jam after walking the lead off batter and allowing an error and a bunt to put runners in scoring position. Mitchell struck out a batter, hit another, but then induced a ground ball to end the threat. Shenandoah went down in order in the bottom of the second.
In the third, Lynchburg got a run back. After walking the lead off batter, Mitchell picked him off first base. A walk and a single followed, and a two-out single plated a run before Mitchell ended the inning with a fly out. Shenandoah was retired in order in the bottom half.
Mitchell responded by retiring Lynchburg in order in the fourth. In Shenandoah's half, Madagan singled with one out, moved to second on a ground ball, and scored on a single by Christian Carver. Keenan followed with a double to the gap, scoring Carver and extending the lead to 4-1.
In the fifth, Lynchburg threatened again, but Padilla made a fantastic catch to save two runs and preserve the 4-1 lead. In the bottom half, with two outs, Houser singled and Madagan blasted a two-run homer to make it 6-1.
Jacob Gilbert took over pitching duties in the sixth. After a walk, he retired the next three batters. In Shenandoah's half, Keenan singled but was erased on a double play.
In the seventh, Lynchburg added a run after a walk, a ground out, and a single to make it 6-2. Gilbert then struck out a batter and Carver made an acrobatic play to end the inning. Shenandoah responded quickly: Cornwell blasted a home run, Pickette doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Houser to make it 8-2.
Liam Stewart entered in the eighth and worked around a single by inducing a double play. Shenandoah had an opportunity to add more after a walk and single, but Lynchburg threw out a runner at the plate right before a lightning delay.
After the delay, Stewart returned to the mound and handled a tense ninth inning. After loading the bases with one out, he struck out the next two batters to end the game and seal the 8-2 victory.
UP NEXT
The Hornets wrap up conference play tomorrow against Lynchburg with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
#GoSUHornets
