Jasmine Brogdon ~ Staff Writer
On Saturday Feb.18, the Lynchburg College Baseball team completed a double-header. They were victorious in both games. Penn State Harrisburg was their opponent.
PSH and LC received the same score in both games. The games were located in Lynchburg, Va. On Fox Field. After these games, our record now stands 5-2 and theirs is 0-2.
The Hornets’ scores went up and down, initially going down to 5-1 in both games before staging late-inning rallies and leading at the end.
The first game went to the Hornets due to a walk-off single by junior Will Harris.A four-run fifth inning helped the Hornets edge the Lions in game two.
“Sweeping the doubleheader against Penn State Harrisburg was huge for us because we came back from 5-1 deficits in both games. It really allowed us to build momentum and showed us that we are never out of a game,” said sophomore Jake Conner.
In game two first-year Shawn Allen went 2-3 for the start of his season, including a single that started the rally in the bottom of the seventh inning. Junior Griffin Wild got the start at shortstop, going 2-4 with a run.
Junior Matt Ward and sophomore Nathan Sharp both went 1-3 but pitched in with one RBI, run batted in, each. Harris, the walk-off hero, went 2-3 with his lone RBI clinching the victory for the Hornets.
Junior Jacob Flora got the win while junior Matthew Kane held the Lions scoreless in a solid inning of work.
Conner described the team’s strengths, “This year we are really doing a great job of hitting and have also been much improved in the field. Timely hitting has really given us the boost that we needed.”
Senior Will Hylton went a perfect 2-2 in the second game with a walk and RBI.
Sophomore Shawn Allen continued his success into the second game tallying an RBI. He also scored two walks as first-year Colin Corey had a pinch-hit RBI in the bottom of the fifth. Smith later scored himself.
Sophomore Jake Conner picked up his second win of the season while first-year Cody Martin tossed a successful inning to earn his first save in 2017.
Then the Hornets participated in another double-header the following Sunday. Unfortunately, they were not as successful. Lynchburg split this double-header again at Fox Field against USA South member Greensboro College.
The Hornets were not victorious over The Pride, with a score of 8-3 in the first game before making a comeback with a 6-4 win in game two. This game left LC’s record as 6-3 and Greensboro 6-3.
Conner spoke about how their average has improved from last year, “Like I said, timely hitting has been key for us. We also have lots of young guys stepping up and getting the job done, which helps.”
Conner described this year’s team as being much more solid than last year’s. He stated they have depths in all positions. He is looking forward to see where this season goes.
You can catch the Hornets in action if you’re willing to travel. They have a game in Arlington, Va. playing Marymount University on Saturday, Feb. 25 for a double-header; the first pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.
