Roanoke has one too many a poke as they top Guilford 18-12 in college baseball

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Down to his team’s final strike, senior Jay Laramore(Pfafftown, N.C./Reynolds (Guilford)) delivered a two-run double that propelled Roanoke College to an 18-12 Old Dominion Athletic Conference baseball win at Guilford College Tuesday afternoon.

The Maroons (8-10, 4-4 ODAC) grabbed an 8-0 second-inning lead and took an 11-7 edge into the eighth inning before the Quakers (10-13, 3-6 ODAC) rallied with five runs and took a 12-11 lead.

Roanoke’s Caylen Baire worked a leadoff walk in the ninth against Guilford closer Michael Blocher (0-1), which was followed by leadoff man Cameron Travalini’s single to right. After Graham Thacker sacrificed the runners to second and third, Blocher retired Noah Davidson on a pop foul to third base for the inning’s second out.

Guilford intentionally walked third baseman Alan Moore, who was 4-5 with a double, homer and seven RBI on the day. Laramore, who played with the Quakers before transferring to Roanoke in 2008, fell behind 1-2 before roping a double to right that scored the tying and go-ahead runs. A walk to pinch-hitter Joel Hill loaded the bases and set up Barrett Henderson’s bases-clearing double that opened a 16-12 lead. Travalini’s two-run single later in the frame provided the final margin.

Tavalini joined Moore with four hits apiece in the Maroons’ 23-hit barrage. Thacker and Davidson both added three hits. Starting pitcher Mark Manthe had two hits and left after five innings with an 8-2 lead. The Quakers scored seven runs off of John Terlesky and Mark Wimmer in the sixth to make it a 9-7 game. Wimmer (2-0) ended up with the win, despite yielding five runs and nine hits in 3.2 innings.

Freshman Casey Mann’s career-high four hits and three runs paced Guilford’s offense, which had 21 hits. Alex Starbuck added four hits, including a double, and two RBI. Jordan Nelson went 2-4 with a sixth-inning grand slam. Eric Backus fanned a career-high seven in 4.1 innings of one-run relief.

Guilford tries to end an eight-game losing skid Saturday when it hosts league-rival Eastern Mennonite University in a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader.

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Roanoke 18, Guilford 12 (Mar 23, 2010 at Greensboro, NC)

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Roanoke…………. 350 001 027 – 18 23 0 (8-10, 4-4 ODAC)

Guilford………… 000 025 050 – 12 21 2 (10-13, 3-6 ODAC)

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Pitchers: Roanoke – Manthe; Terlesky(6); Wimmer(6) and Poad. Guilford –
Sammy Stuart;

Eric Backus(2); Will James(7); Reid MacLean(8); Michael Blocher(9) and .

Win-Wimmer(2-0) Loss-Michael Blocher(0-1) T-3:32 A-100

HR RC – Moore.

HR GC – Jordan Nelson.

Weather: sunny, breezy, high 50s

Game notes:

Old Dominion Athletic Conference game

Game: GCB-23

Dave Walters
Guilford College Athletics