SALEM, VA--The Roanoke College baseball team moved to 15-13 on the season with a sweep of Randolph-Macon College in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference double-header on Saturday afternoon in Salem, VA. The Maroons, who also improve to 6-6 in ODAC play, won the first game 4-1 and earned the sweep with a 6-5 10-inning victory in the second contest. The Yellow Jackets return home with a 7-21 overall mark and an 0-13 record in league play.
Roanoke 4, Randolph-Macon 1
The Yellow Jackets jumped on the Maroons in the top of the first inning, going up 1-0. Lead-off batter Daniel Mullins singled to get the scoring rally starting. He advanced to second on a stolen base and to third on a Maroon wild pitch. He then came home on a Seth Rapoza sacrifice fly to center.
The Maroons took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth inning. With one out, Brandon Coates (Gladys, VA/William Campbell) started a rally when he reached on an error on the RMC secondbaseman. The Maroons had runners on first and second following a Mike Eubank (Roanoke, VA/Northside) walk, when Robby Hoopes (Roanoke, VA/Northside) hit an opposite field triple to give RC the 2-1 lead. Josh Ringstaff (Abingdon, VA/Abingdon) followed with a single to center to give RC a two-run cushion. One inning later, Sean Sturgill (Vinton, VA/William Byrd) hit his team-leading seventh homerun of the season, just inside the leftfield line, to give RC a 4-1 lead.
After giving up the first inning run, Roanoke starter Jonathan Wills (Salem, VA/Salem) settled down to hold the Yellow Jackets scoreless over the next six innings. Wills got the complete game win, allowing one run on four hits. He struck out eight batters in the contest and gave up just one free pass.
Roanoke 6, Randolph-Macon 5 (10)
The Yellow Jackets again got the board first in the second game of the double-header. Seth Rapoza had an RBI double to deep centerfield and Bobby White singled to bring in the second run of the inning.
The Maroons were able to cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to a Randolph-Macon fielding error. Brandon Wilson (Smithfield, VA/Smithfield) singled and stole second. After two Maroons grounded out to the left side of the infield, Robby Hoopes hit to be what appeared the third out of the inning. The fly ball to right was dropped by the RMC fielder allowing Wilson to come around to make the score 2-1.
The Yellow Jackets scored two more runs in the top of the fifth inning. Bobby White and Ryan Hogan each had RBIs in the inning. White's came on a single to left, while Hogan drove in a run on a fielder's choice. The Yellow Jackets drew two walks in the inning.
Three Maroon hits in the bottom of the fifth again cut RMC's lead in half. Nathan Unroe (Iron City, VA/Alleghany), Sturgill, and Wilson had consecutive singles, Wilson's bringing in Unroe from second. The Maroons closed to within one run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Kirk Dent (Roanoke, VA/Liberty) singled on a groundball through the right side of the infield to score Eubank from third.
Anthony Hernandez (Ipswich, MA/St. John's Prep) singled to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning, and then with one swing of the bat from Unroe, the Maroons led by one. Unroe sent a pitch over the fence in rightcenter to give the Maroons the 5-4 lead.
The Yellow Jackets tied the score in the top of the ninth inning. Joey Crawford led off the inning with a ground-rule double to right field. After pinch hitter Matt Carney moved Crawford to third, the Yellow Jackets drew even on a Daniel Mullins single to right.
Robby Hoopes led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a double to rightcenter. After moving to third on an Anthony Hernandez fielder's choice, Hoopes came home to score the winning run on an Unroe single up the middle.
In addition to getting the game-winning hit, Unroe also got the win on the mound for the Maroons, throwing the final two innings. He also finished with four hits, while Wilson pounded out three.
