Bristol, Va. (March 4, 2009)- Emory & Henry's baseball team picked up its second win of the season after splitting games with area rival Virginia Intermont Wednesday in DeVault Stadium.
In game one, the two teams matched each other play for play until the magnificent seventh inning stretch when the Wasps opened the flood gates to a flurry of hits that washed out the Cobras.
The inning began with Codie Mitchell (Linville, Va.; Broadway) getting a walk. Lee VanLear (Verona, Va.; Fort Defiance) singled to put the Wasps on base again. Both players advanced on a pass-ball moving into scoring position. Following another walk, the Wasps had the bases loaded for Remington Hedgepeth (Winston-Salem, N.C.) who hit a single to bring in Mitchell and VanLear, which put E&H up 7-5.
Leading 7-5 with two runners on base, Emory & Henry's Josh Nelson (Galax, Va.; Grayson County) singled down the right field line to bring in Chad Lankford (Purlear, N.C.; West Wilkes) for an 8-5 lead. Keith Fenner (Chilhowie, Va.; Chilhowie) hit a triple to bring in Hedgepeth and Nelson. The Wasps concluded their dominant inning with one final run driven in by Jared Pierce (Chilhowie, Va.; Chilhowie) to give the Wasps a nice 11-5 lead.
VanLear led the Wasps in game one with 3 hits and 3 RBI's. Hedgepeth, Lowry, and Pierce each had 2 hits for the Wasps. Mitchell picked up the win for Emory & Henry.
The Wasps held on for an 11-5 victory in game one, but the Cobras answered with a 7-3 win in the second game, during which the Wasps fielded a higher percentage of its younger players.
The games were played in frigid conditions. Temperatures were dropped to 32 degrees, causing many fans to bundle up with blankets and heavy jackets.
Emory & Henry faces Lynchburg College Saturday for its first Old Dominion Athletic Conference game of the season. With temperatures expected to be in the upper 60's, providing the "Boys of Summer" with an opportunity to experience a little taste of the summer heat.