College Baseball DH Finals: Virginia 8-5, Guilford 4-2

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Virginia Wesleyan College swept visiting Guilford College in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday. Game scores were 8-4 and 5-2.

The Marlins improved to 12-7 and a perfect 6-0 in ODAC action. The Quakers moved to 10-10-1 and 1-5 in league action.

GC outhit the Marlins, 9-8, in the 8-4 loss. Trevor Denton and Michael Pinkston each had two hits for the visitors.

Denton started for Guilford and dropped to 3-3 on the season after taking the loss. He threw six innings, allowed three runs (two earned) and five hits. Denton also fanned three batters and gave up three walks.

Starter Jacob Pilarski (5-0) earned the win after tossing six innings. He allowed one GC run and scattered five hits. Randy Neisz went 2-3 with a home run and two RBI to lead Marlin batters. Teammate Brandon Kussmaul also had a homer for the home club.

VWC plated the decisive four runs off of reliever Rhett Miller in the seventh inning. Two of the runs were unearned and the Marlins managed just one hit in the frame. VWC scored on a fielder’s choice, a bases-loaded walk, a hit batsman with bases full, and a ground-out.

Trailing 8-1 heading into the ninth inning, GC plated three runs off of VWC reliever Adam Brooks. Josh Shepherd and Brett Shapcott had singles to lead off the inning. Mitchell Stumpo then walked to load the bases. Denton reached on an error by the shortstop and Shepherd and Shapcott scored. Stumpo came home on fielder’s choice by Rocco Wilcox. Sam Gerald grounded out to end the game.

The Marlins rallied to take the nightcap, 5-2. The Quakers scored first in the third inning after Logan Shortt singled and was brought home by a Shapcott’s single through the left side. Guilford pushed the margin to 2-0 in the next frame after Logan King’s RBI single. He scored Denton who reached on an earlier base hit.

VWC tacked on one run in the bottom of the fourth and added the crucial three runs in the sixth inning. The highlight was a Kussmaul (2-4) single, which scored two baserunners. The Marlins tacked on an insurance run in their next at-bat.

Virginia Wesleyan had nine hits in the contest to GC’s eight. Shapcott and Denton each had two hits for the visitors.

Stumpo started for Guilford but got no decision after tossing five frames. Bailey Garfield (1-2) was saddled with the loss after surrendering four runs in three innings of relief.

Chance Pauley improved to 2-1 and got the win for the Marlins. Glenn Pizzanello worked the final two innings and garnered his second save of the year.

Guilford hosts Greensboro College on Wednesday (3/24). First pitch is 3 p.m. at McBane Field.