GREENSBORO, N.C. – Visiting Emory & Henry College swept an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) baseball doubleheader Saturday at Guilford College. The Wasps won game one, 9-6, and hit five homers in their 13-8 nightcap victory.
Despite the losses, Guilford (21-18, 9-9 ODAC) earned a spot in the ODAC Tournament by virtue of its fifth-place finish in the league standings. Emory & Henry (15-21, 11-7 ODAC) is seeded third in the six-team league tournament.
Josh McMillian, one of six Wasps with two or more hits, went three-for-six with two RBI in the opener. Emory & Henry had 16 hits in support of starter Will Dingus (3-5), who did not walk a batter in his complete-game effort. Collin Metz homered to lead off the fourth inning among his two hits.
Guilford’s Kent Peterson belted a two-run homer in the fourth that drew Guilford to within 4-3. He and teammates Jordan Slate (Lexington, N.C./North Davidson) and Casey Mann both finished with two hits. Travis Starbuck (Kernersville, N.C./East Forsyth), one of four Guilford seniors in the starting lineup on the Quakers’ Senior Day, hit a solo homer in the ninth. Classmate Eric Backus (1-2) took the loss.
Emory & Henry jumped out to a 4-0 first-inning lead in game two and hit five more home runs. Metz homered for the second straight game, a lead-off blast in the third. Logan Ball added a two-run shot in the same inning and Eric Houff hit a two-run shot in the fourth inning. McMillian hit his team-leading fifth homer in the sixth inning, a solo shot, and Remington Hedgepeth (Winston-Salem, N.C./Homeschooled) delivered a two-run homer later in the sixth.
Hedgepeth went three-for-five with four RBI. Metz and Ball also had three hits. Emory & Henry had 18 hits in support of Jessup Lambert, who threw seven innings and struck out four.
Guilford’s Mann and D.J. Phillips both had three hits in game two. Phillips hit his first homer of the year in the fourth inning, which was followed by John Macon Smith’s (Greensboro, N.C./Western Guilford (Western Carolina)) NCAA Division III-leading 12th homer of the year. The sophomore’s 12 bombs stand second in school history.
Guilford returns to action Thursday (4/26) when it makes its second straight ODAC Tournament appearance. The Quakers play second-seeded Bridgewater College at 3:00 p.m. at City Stadium in Lynchburg, Va.
Emory & Henry – 9
Guilford – 6
Apr 21, 2012 at Greensboro, NC – Game 1
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Emory & Henry....... 002 210 121 - 9 16 2 (14-21, 10-7 ODAC) Guilford............ 100 210 101 - 6 10 1 (21-17, 9-8 ODAC) ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Emory & Henry – W. Dingus and C. Metz. Guilford – Eric Backus; Will James(4); Avery Rogers(8) and Konrad Kaufman.
Win-W. Dingus(3-5)
Loss-Eric Backus(1-2)
T-2:10
A-100
HR EHC – C. Metz (3).
HR GC – Kent Peterson (1); Travis Starbuck (1).
Weather: 72, sunny
Game notes:
Old Dominion Athletic Conference game
Game: GCB-38
Emory & Henry – 13
Guilford – 8
Apr 21, 2012 at Greensboro, NC – Game 2
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Emory & Henry....... 403 203 001 - 13 18 3 (15-21, 11-7 ODAC) Guilford............ 014 200 001 - 8 14 0 (21-18, 9-9 ODAC) ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: Emory & Henry – J. Lambert; R. Sowers(8) and . Guilford – B. Jones-Berasaluce; Lou Trosch(1); Justin Morrison(5); Chad Wagoner(7); Micah Winterstein(9)
Win-J. Lambert(4-7)
Loss-B. Jones-Berasaluce(4-2)
T-2:15
A-100
HR EHC – J. McMillian (5); E. Houff (2); C. Metz (4); R. Hedgepeth (4); L. Ball (4).
HR GC – DJ Phillips (2); John Macon Smith (12).
Weather: 75, sunny
Game: GCB-39