ASHLAND, Va. – Logan Jones’ home run gave Guilford College a key insurance run in the sixth inning as the Quakers earned a Sunday afternoon Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) victory over Randolph-Macon College, 2-1. The Yellow Jackets are currently ranked 16th in the latest D3Baseball.com Top-25 Poll.
The Quakers rallied from two outs in the top of the first hitting to produce four hits, capped by Chuck Noble’s RBI-single to center field with runners at first and third base. After two Randolph-Macon innings where the Yellow Jackets left two runners on base, neither side placed more than one runner on the base paths in any inning until the bottom of the sixth frame, but the Yellow Jackets Travis Lodge threatened in the third stanza with a two-out triple before the side was retired. Jones led off the top of the sixth inning with a solo home run to provide the Quakers an insurance run. Jeffrey Butler got the Yellow Jackets on the board with a two-out RBI-single in the bottom half of the inning, but the Yellow Jackets stranded two runners on base to end the inning. With neither side producing a scoring chance for the rest of the contest, reliever Chase Shuford retired the Yellow Jackets facing the minimum amount of batters in the bottom of the ninth inning to complete a three-inning effort and seal the victory.
Guilford batters hitting in the five through eight spots in the order all produced multi-hit afternoons, led by Jones’ two-for-three effort with one RBI. Rocco Wilcox also produced a multi-hit afternoon, batting two-for-five.
Butler led the Yellow Jackets with a two-for-five afternoon with Randolph-Macon’s lone RBI. Herminio Azor and Lodge also went two-for-four a piece with Lodge adding a double and a triple.
Eric Yost (1-0) claimed the win for the Quakers in a six-inning effort where he scattered eight hits and gave up one run while striking out two batters. Shuford claimed his second save of the season, giving up just two hits while fanning two.
Rick Spiers (1-1) claimed the loss for Randolph-Macon in a six-inning effort where he gave up two runs on ten hits while striking out three. The Yellow Jackets’ bullpen gave up only one hit in the final three innings led by Patrick Solomita’s two-inning effort.
The Quakers return to action Wednesday, traveling to Ferrum College for a 4 p.m. contest.