EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry University Baseball Team (5-14, 3-9 SAC) fell in the series finale to Tusculum University (9-12, 4-8 SAC) Saturday afternoon. The Pioneers recorded 19 hits on their way to the 20-8 victory.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Tusculum 20, Emory & Henry 8 (Seven Innings)
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – Porterfield-DeVault Field
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (5-14, 3-9 SAC); Tusculum (9-12, 4-8 SAC)
How It Happened
The Pioneers took an early 1-0 lead with a run in the top of the first inning, but the Wasps struck back in the home half of the first. Junior outfielder Jadden Rodriguez (Thomasville, N.C.) roped a one-out double and touched home one batter later when junior designated hitter Kyle Fields (Lynchburg, Va.) laced an RBI base hit through the left side of the infield. Senior catcher Ky Gregoire (Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA) singled and senior third baseman Drew Park (Mooresville, N.C.) drew a walk to load the bases. Another run would come across to score on an error by the Tusculum first baseman, and senior outfielder Clay Caldwell (Salem, Va.) pushed across another with an RBI bases-loaded walk to make it 3-1 Wasps after one inning of action.
Tusculum answered back with three runs on a pair of hits in the top of the second inning to retake the lead at 4-3. Emory & Henry manufactured a run in the bottom of the second when sophomore shortstop Jaret Hoppes (Taylorsville, N.C.) drew a leadoff walk, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and touched home on a sacrifice fly from Fields to tie things up at 4-4. After a scoreless third inning, TU got back on the board in the top of the fourth with five more runs on three hits and a pair of E&H errors to see their lead grow to 9-4. Rodriguez homered in the bottom of the fourth to bring the Wasps back within four at 9-5.
The visitors' bats came to life over the next couple of innings as they put up five in the fifth, four in the sixth and two more in the seventh to balloon the margin out to 20-5. Emory & Henry got three runs back in the bottom of the seventh on a solo home run from Gregoire, his team-leading sixth of the year, and a two-RBI triple from junior second baseman Ryan Paynton (Walnut Creek, Calif.), but it was not enough as the Pioneers took the 20-8 win.
Walker Pedante was the winning pitcher for Tusculum as he gave up five runs on five hits while striking out five batters over 4.2 innings on the mound. Junior lefty Drew Lanzo (Indian Trail, N.C.) suffered the loss for the Wasps after surrendering eight runs on seven hits with a pair of strikeouts in 3.2 innings of work. Paynton, Gregoire and Rodriguez all finished with a pair of hits.
Up Next
Emory & Henry continues its homestand on Tuesday, March 10 against rival Ferrum College. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. from Porterfield-DeVault Field.
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