LYNCHBURG, Va. – In a late-season heavyweight ODAC clash, the No. 7 Shenandoah University baseball team rode an explosive seventh inning and a dominant performance on the mound to take down No. 2 University of Lynchburg, 8-4, on Friday afternoon.
The win snaps a brief road skid for the #7 Hornets (30-8, 13-6 ODAC) and hands the #2 Hornets (30-4-1, 17-1-1 ODAC) just their fourth loss of the season. The loss snaps a 22-game win streak for Lynchburg as well.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Early energy in the contest came on the defensive end of the opening frame, with a critical 9-5 double play that saw
Kyle Garrett catch a fly ball, followed by a rope thrown to
Tyler Smith to tag the runner out at third base.
The scoring started early in the second inning when
JP Williams doubled to plate
Adham Sahebzadah, followed immediately by an RBI single from Omps. Lynchburg answered in the bottom half with a two-run homer from Sean Pokorak, but SU reclaimed the lead in the fourth. Sahebzadah drove in
Dillon Mauzy with a double before Williams picked up his second RBI of the day with a single up the middle.
With the game sitting at 4-3 at the top of the seventh, Shenandoah's offense found another gear. After
Kemper Omps sparked the rally by reaching and eventually scoring on a
Carl Keenan RBI single, centerfielder
Jaime Padilla provided the knockout blow. Padilla crushed a three-run home run to left field, clearing the bases and turning a one-run lead into a commanding 8-3 advantage.
The home run proved to be the cushion the Hornets needed to silence the home crowd at James C. Fox Field.
Nick Bell (3-0) earned the win, turning in a gritty performance against one of the most potent lineups in Division III. Bell navigated through four innings, allowing just two earned runs while holding Lynchburg at bay during the critical middle frames.
Joey Mitchell and
Liam Stewart provided stellar relief work, with Stewart slamming the door in the ninth to secure the victory.
UP NEXT
The Hornets look to clinch the series tomorrow as they wrap up the doubleheader against Lynchburg. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 PM.
#GoSUHornets
