GREENSBORO, N.C. – Alex Starbuck’s (Kernersville, N.C./East Forsyth)
walk-off sacrifice fly gave Guilford College’s baseball team a 5-4 win over
Eastern Mennonite University Saturday and a sweep of the Old Dominion
Athletic Conference (ODAC) doubleheader at McBane Field.
The Quakers (12-13, 5-6 ODAC) snapped an eight-game losing skid with a 5-2
opening-game triumph behind Will Simpson’s (Cary, N.C./Green Hope
(Rockingham C.C.)) complete-game six-hitter.
The sweep looked like a foregone conclusion as Guilford’s starter Adam Hart
cruised into the eighth inning with a 4-1 lead. The Royals (6-10, 3-8 ODAC)
rallied with Chris Harpine’s two-run, two-out triple on a 3-2 count that
made it a 4-3 game. Dylan Smith followed with a single through the left side
that tied the game at 4-4.
Reid MacLean (1-0) fanned Aaron Martin to end the inning and retired the
side in the top half of the ninth inning. Jay Cox led off the ninth with a
walk, which ended reliever Bryan Loy’s (0-1) day. After failing to bunt Cox
over, Jordan Nelson singled to left center and Casey Mann was hit by a pitch
to load the bases. Starbuck, who hit a solo homer earlier in the game, ended
the game with a deep fly ball to left center.
Starbuck was 2-4 with two RBI in the nightcap. Derek Hardison and Drew Ward
also added two hits and one RBI for the Quakers. Hart matched his season
high with nine strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings.
Ben Wise had a team-high three hits for Eastern Mennonite. Teammate Cody
Davis went 2-4 and Harpine finished with three RBI.
Simpson won a pitcher’s duel with Eastern Mennonite’s Mike Moles (1-3) in
the opener. The game was tied at 1-1 entering the sixth inning when Wise’s
sacrifice fly gave the Royals a 2-1 lead.
Guilford answered with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Hardison
delivered a game-tying single and D.J. Phillips plated the go-ahead run with
a single.
Cox was 3-3 with an RBI for Guilford. Mann and Starbuck both added two hits
in support of Simpson (3-2). The junior right-hander allowed one earned run,
fanned two and did not walk a batter. He retired 11 of the last 12 batters
he faced.
Smith had two of Eastern Mennonite’s six hits and scored a run.
-30-
Guilford 5, Eastern Mennonite 2 (Mar 27, 2010 at Greensboro, NC) (Game 1)
———————————————————————-
Eastern Mennonite… 001 001 0 – 2 6 1 (6-9, 3-7 ODAC)
Guilford………… 001 004 X – 5 10 0 (11-13, 4-6 ODAC)
———————————————————————-
Pitchers: Eastern Mennonite – Michael Moles; Thomas Worley(6) and Dylan
Smith. Guilford –
Will Simpson and Will Cornelius.
Win-Will Simpson(3-2) Loss-Michael Moles(1-3) T-1:38 A-150
Weather: sunny, windy, low 50s
Game notes:
Old Dominion Athletic Conference game
Guilford 5, Eastern Mennonite 4 (Mar 27, 2010 at Greensboro, NC) (Game 2)
———————————————————————-
Eastern Mennonite… 000 001 030 – 4 10 1 (6-10, 3-8 ODAC)
Guilford………… 003 010 001 – 5 10 0 (12-13, 5-6 ODAC)
———————————————————————-
Pitchers: Eastern Mennonite – Andy Richter; Bryan Loy(6); Thomas Worley(9)
and Dylan Smith.
Guilford – Adam Hart; Reid MacLean(8) and Jason Flud.
Win-Reid MacLean(1-0) Loss-Bryan Loy(1-1) T-2:11 A-125
HR GC – Alex Starbuck (3).
Weather: sunny, windy, low 50s
Game notes:
Old Dominion Athletic Conference game
Richter, A. faced 1 batter in the 6th.
Loy, B. faced 1 batter in the 9th.
Game: GCB-25
Dave Walters
Guilford College Athletics