Middle Innings Sink Baseball Against (RV) Shenandoah
Quakers still muster weekend split against tough conference foe
from Bryce Johnson, Director of Athletic Communications
WINCHESTER, Va. – The nationally receiving votes Shenandoah University (19-9, 10-4 ODAC) awoke in the middle innings at Kevin Anderson Field, handing the Guilford College baseball team (16-10, 4-9 ODAC) an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) defeat, 9-4, on Saturday afternoon.
Working in-and-out of trouble, Jacob Phillips (Browns Summit, N.C.) did put in 4.1 innings of solid work on the mound for the Quakers. He struck out three against five hits and two walks that led to three runs, all earned and ended up suffering his first defeat to fall to 5-1.
Jacob Gilbert had a quick leash as he only allowed one run on one hit and three walks with two strikeouts, but only lasted 3.1 innings for SU. Braden Landis ended up being the victor instead as he shutdown the GC offense allowing just one hit against five K’s over 3.1 innings to improve to 1-0.
Limited to just six hits, only Skyler Dark (Pleasant Garden, N.C.) had multiple knocks for the Quakers going 2-of-3 and mixing in a walk. Rylan Smith (Archdale, N.C.) reached twice via free pass while Aaron Williams (Mocksville, N.C.) and Ryne Rodrigues (Summerfield, N.C.) were the only Quaker starters to record an RBI.
The Hornets’ one-two punch of Jaime Padilla and Kyle Garrett did their job atop the SU lineup, not only as table-setters, scoring once each, but as run producers with five combined RBIs. Padilla finished 2-of-3 with a walk, driving in a pair while Garrett had a pair of doubles and drove in a trio of tallies. Hadan Madagan had a double, scoring twice and driving in one in a 2-for-4 day as well.
Defense ruled over the first three innings as Guilford got a couple baserunners via walks, but noting materialized. Meanwhile Shenandoah, despite two hits, a batter reaching on an error, a walk, and a HBP in that span, saw nothing come together thanks to a strike-them-out, throw-them-out double play from Williams in the first and an inning-ending two-ball to escape a bases loaded jam in the second. It would be GC who would breakthrough in the top of the fourth as Williams and Smith each drew a base on balls to open the frame. Grayson Tudor (Reidsville, N.C.) dropped down a sacrifice bunt attempt, but the Hornets got the lead runner on a force out although a wild pitch a few offerings later accomplished the same thing. That brought up Rodrigues who continued his brilliant weekend by singling to center to score Smith, but Tudor was held and GC would have to settle for just one as Jake Holbert entered and avoided further scoring.
Phillips followed that up with a shutdown inning and GC got runners on the corners with one out and loaded the bases with two, but could not cash in before SU took the lead in the fifth. Christian Carver and Scott Wilson reached on either side of a fielders choice, putting two on as they flipped over the lineup and Padilla came through with a single to right-center to level the score. Garrett followed with a go-ahead two-run double and while Stratton Barwick (Siler City, N.C.) entered and escaped further trouble, the damage was done as the host held a 3-1 lead.
It was only a matter of time before the number-two scoring offense awoke, and after 14 innings of being reasonable contained, they exploded in the sixth. Cole Ambrosius got a pinch hit double with one out to end Barwick’s outing as GC turned to Jack Ratliff (Greensboro, N.C.) and he just did not have it on this day. A hit batsman, a double, and another HBP produced a run and loaded the bases then Padilla hit a sacrifice fly and Garrett ripped an RBI double. Griffin Icenhower (Kernersville, N.C.) could not stop the bleeding, committing a balk to force in a score almost immediately then allowing Noah Cornwell to triple in a run and Brody Pickette drew a walk before GC went to their third pitcher of the inning, Hayden Sekanick (Tampa, Fla.). The freshman escaped the jam, but the damage was done with the score 8-1, especially as the Guilford offense could not figure out Landis.
SU got an unearned run in the eighth then the Quakers tallied a trio of garbage time runs in the ninth, but they just served to make the score look better, finishing at 9-4.
Guilford returns to the friendly confines of McBane Field for their final midweek contest on their own soil on Tuesday, April 8th against Ferrum College beginning at 3:00 PM.
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