Guilford College Baseball Falls To Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute In Midweek Clash
Quakers strand 11 runners on base, see winning streak snapped
from Bryce Johnson, Director of Athletic Communications at Guilford College
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Guilford College baseball team (6-4, 0-0 ODAC) fell in nonconference action to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1-3, 0-0 Liberty League), 6-4 at Edgar H. McBane Field on Tuesday afternoon.
Marcello Ricigliano (Kernersville, N.C.) got the midweek start but only lasted 5.1 innings in this one. The costly frame was the fourth for the right-hander, as four of the six runs he permitted came in that frame as he finished allowing nine hits and a walk, fanning four and taking the loss to fall to 3-2.
RPI used a small station’s worth of firemen after starter Dylan Chan completed just 2.0 frames allowing two runs on two hits and three walks in a no decision. Andrew Gaughan was the first of them, going the next 2.0 innings, fanning four while allowing just a run on three hits and did enough to earn the win and improve to 1-1. The fifth and final reliever was Zac Zajac who walked a pair but locked down his first save.
Guilford’s offense had a ton of traffic with eight hits, six walks, and a HBP, but lacked that breakthrough knock, leaving 11 runners on the basepaths. Dominic Pegues (Raleigh, N.C.) had some of the loudest contact GC had all game, but had limited returns, finishing 1-4 with a walk, though he scored twice. Chris Shoemaker (Winston-Salem, N.C.) reached three times with a couple walks and a hit, scoring once and driving in another. Christian Chinen (Honolulu, Hawaii) roped a two-run double, Rylan Smith (Archdale, N.C.) doubled and scored on top of a walk, and Skyler Dark (Pleasant Garden, N.C.) also drew a free pass, got hit by a pitch, and racked up his third triple of the season already for the GC offense.
The five-through-seven batters finished flawless for the Engineers, going 7-7 cumulatively with a trio of walks. Danny Nayvelt had a couple knocks including a double, walked twice, and scored half of RPI’s six runs. Charlie Lapp led all players in hits with a trio plus a walk, scoring once and driving in another while Connor Dynan drove in a run on a 2-2 showing. The big swing came from Jack Mullins, though, as he made his single hit count with a two-run homer.
After a clean top of the first and then traffic but an inning-ending double play in bottom, RPI opened the scoring in the second. Nayvelt drew a one-out walk then advanced two bags on a hit-and-run single by Lapp. A failed first-and-third steal that saw the backside runner thrown out did yield a run as Nayvelt narrowly beat the throwback home as the Engineers took the lead. GC took the advantage in the home half, however, as Shoemaker and Pegues led off drawing walks and advanced on a difficult yet successful sacrifice bunt by Trevor Myers (Eastampton, N.J.). The second out was recorded but Chinen came through, crushing one and splitting right-center with a double to put Guilford in front 2-1.
Alex Coombes got an Engineer rally started in the fourth, singling up the middle then swiping second. A long Nayvelt at bat finished with an excuse-me flare single into right putting runners on the corners then a spiked pitch that ricocheted far away from Myers allowed the guests to tie things at two. A single by Lapp made it another first-and-third situation, and Dynan hit a sacrifice fly to take the lead. Mullins followed with his first homerun of the year over the Greensboro Monster, taking a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the fourth.
The Quakers responded with some loud contact in the home half and it was the back-half of the lineup that lit the spark again. Pegues blistered a single past third and Myers rocketed a double into right-center, allowing Pegues to score all the way from first. Then in the fifth, Smith tucked a singled inside the leftfield line and Shoemaker plated him with a single over the shifted infield as GC narrowed the score to 5-4.
RPI grabbed insurance on a Nayvelt double and Lapp single and they had runners on the corners with one out in the sixth, but Raines Denman (Houston, Texas) came on, got a K and a comebacker and avoided further damage. Unfortunately, the offenses just went silent. GC got the potential tying run on base in each of their final four turns at bat, and got the potential tying run aboard twice, but just could not muster that breakthrough hit, ultimately falling, 6-4.
Guilford polishes off their 10-game homestand tomorrow, Wednesday, March 4th, as they host Brevard College for a single contest starting at 2:00 PM.
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