Central Shenandoah News

Baseball Drops a Pair of Games to No. 12 Lynchburg

 The Bridgewater College baseball team dropped a pair of games to No. 12 Lynchburg on Saturday.

THE BASICS

Final Score: (Game 1) No. 12 Lynchburg 9, Bridgewater 3; (Game 2) No. 12 Lynchburg 6, Bridgewater 5

Records: Bridgewater, 4-11 (0-2 ODAC); No. 12 Lynchburg 10-2 (2-0 ODAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Game One

• BC went down in order in the top of the first, but the Hornets got on the board in the bottom half of the frame as the leadoff man reached on an error and came around to score and put the home side up early.
• Bridgewater finally got a runner aboard in the third as Lucas Bauer singled but was left stranded. Lynchburg put up a four spot in the bottom of the fourth to blow the game open. After an inning opening strikeout by Reid Long, the Hornets used three consecutive hits to push a run across. A single and a double to left drove in three more to extend the lead to 5-0.
• The Eagles responded as they got two runners aboard as an error allowed Hunter Clever to reach and Bauer got onboard again by virtue of a base knock. BC pushed both runners into scoring position but yet again left the runners stranded. BC kept the momentum rolling in the sixth as BC loaded the bases thanks to a trio of base knocks. Jonathan Sexton stepped to the plate and cleared the bases with a double, driving in all three runs and putting BC back to within a pair of runs, 5-3.
• The No. 12 team in the country bounced back immediately in the bottom half of the frame as a bases-loaded walk drove in a run to make it 6-3.  The Hornets added a few more insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth thanks to some patience at the plate and some timely hitting. Lynchburg tagged on three more in the frame to take a 9-3 lead headed to the ninth and finished the game off, retiring the Eagles in order.

GAME STATS

• Brandan Hartman and Bauer each turned in 2-for-4 effort at the dish in game one and Hartman scored a run.
• Long (0-3) took the loss for BC. The starter went four complete innings and allowed five earned runs along with five strikeouts.
• Zack Potts picked up the win for Lynchburg in the first game of the day to move to 4-0 on the season. Potts tossed six innings of work and tallied four punchouts.
• Jack Bachmore picked up the save as he hurled three innings to close the game out for the Hornets.
• Joe Christoper retired all three batters he faced in relief and added a strikeout.

Game Two

• Both teams had chances in he opening two frames but nether side could push a run across. In the bottom of the third Lynchburg broke the scoreless knot thanks to an infield hit with the bases juiced, allowing for a run to score and put the home side ahead 1-0.
• The Hornets tagged on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a sacrifice flyout and a solo shot from Gavin Collins to make it 3-0 nearing the midway point.
• BC responded instantly as Sexton started the top of the fifth with a single through the left side. Kyle Carlson followed him with a base knock of his own but two quick outs put the Eagles in a tough situation Jarrett Biesecker laced a ball to the right side to load the bases and a Jeffrey Snider singe to right pushed both Carlson and Sexton in to score. The Hornets gave Hartman the intentional free pass to loaded the bases and Collin Reid made them pay as a single to left field drove in Snider and Biesecker to give BC their first lead in either game 5-4.
• In the home half of the frame Lynchburg tied the game by virtue of an error by the Eagles with the bases loaded; however, the tie game only lasted a half of an inning as Bauer was hit by a pitch and later scored thanks to a trio of wild pitches. Lynchburg put runners aboard in the home half of the frame, but Brett Tharp got the call from the bullpen and induced a double play to send BC to the seventh ahead 5-4.
• Each team had runners on in the seventh but were unable to capitalize. Bauer got aboard in the visiting half of the eight but was left at second after two quick outs. Lynchburg took advantage of the one-run game and pushed the tying run across thanks to an infield hit, pushing the game to 6-6 heading to the ninth.
• The Eagles went down in order in the top of the ninth but a leadoff walk by Lynchburg put the potential game-winning run aboard. A sacrifice bunt ushed the run to second but a strikeout by Tharp pushed the game to just one out away from extra innings. Josh Gjormand stepped in the box for Lynchburg and delivered with a walk-off single to give the Hornets a 6-5 victory.

GAME STATS

• Bauer and Biesecker were the only Eagles to tally multiple base hits in game two.
• Brandon Pond got the win for No. 12 Lynchburg as he tossed two innings of work an allowed just one hit.
• Tharp (0-3) took the loss for BC as he hurled just over three innings of relief work and allowed a pair of earned runs.
• Gjormand and Brandon Garcia each went 3-of-5 at the plate in the second game on the day for the Hornets.
• Eight of the nine Eagles in the lineup recorded a hit and Snider and Reid each grabbed a pair of RBI.

UP NEXT

Bridgewater makes the trip to Mary Washington on Tuesday for a clash of Eagles. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.

Original source can be found here