ASHLAND, Va. – Randolph-Macon College’s Christian Sanderson drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the tenth inning thanks to a hit-by-pitch as Guilford College fell to Randolph-Macon in a Saturday afternoon Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) contest, 2-1, in ten innings. Randolph-Macon is currently ranked 16th in the latest D3Baseball.com Top-25 Poll.
In a tight contest where both starting pitchers remained on the mound until the ninth inning, the Yellow Jackets (11-0) faced the minimum amount of Guilford batters in four of the first six innings and held the Quakers (8-5) to just one hit. Randolph-Macon had two runners on-base stranded in three of the first six innings as the Quakers rallied to sit down the Yellow Jackets, twice with runners in scoring position. The Quakers mounted a rally in the top of the eighth inning when a Brett Shapcott two-out single kept the Quakers alive. After Jacob Roberts reached on an error, Shapcott advanced to second base, but the Yellow Jackets produced a ground out to end the inning.
Guilford got on the board in the top of the ninth inning when Andrew Brann reached on an error in the second at-bat of the inning, scoring Josh Shepherd who doubled to lead off the frame. Guilford placed runners on first and second with one out when Randolph-Macon replaced James Walsh with Christian Cok, who retired the Quakers in two at-bats. Herminio Azor tied the game one half-inning later on a fielder’s choice that produced the second out, but drove in a run with the bases loaded. The Yellow Jackets loaded the bases in the bottom of the tenth inning when Sanderson was struck by a pitch, driving in the winning run.
Guilford’s meat of the order produced three of the Quakers’ five hits as Shepherd, Brann, and Chuck Noble each went one-for-four on the afternoon.
Sanderson finished four-for-four with one RBI while Travis Lodge was the remaining Yellow Jackets’ bat with a multi-hit afternoon, finishing two-for-four.
Parks Smithey earned the start for the Quakers, throwing nine innings and surrendering just one run on six hits, striking out five batters while walking six. John Todd (2-1) took the loss, throwing the final two-third innings.
Walsh threw eight and one-third innings for Randolph-Macon, striking out 13 batters while giving up one unearned run on five hits. Christian Cok (2-0) claimed the win, throwing a scoreless one and two-third innings.
Both teams finish their two-game weekend series tomorrow at 1 p.m.