The Basics
ODAC Tournament Final Round
Score: No. 3 Roanoke 6 | No. 1 Randolph-Macon 5
Records: Roanoke 30-10 | Randolph-Macon 31-7-1
Location: Lynchburg, Va.
The Lead: Roanoke rallied for three ninth-inning runs as the Maroons knocked off the ODAC Tournament top-seed and the nation's No. 1 squad Randolph-Macon 6-5 in an elimination game. Roanoke earns its 30th win of the season and picks up its second win against a No. 1 ranked team this season.
How it Happened
- With the score 1-0 R-MC in the third inning, Will Smith singled to open the inning, moved to second on a wild pitch, third on a passed ball and scored on an Eli Sumpter fielder's choice. Later in the inning, Robbie Edwards delivered a two-out single to score Sumpter and make it 2-1 before Gavin Kandrick singled home Jack Howard to give RC a 3-1 lead.
- The Yellow Jackets took advantage of a pair of Roanoke errors in bottom half of the third to cut it to 3-2 and tied the game the next inning following an RC error and a balk that scored Reece Yeargain.
- The score stayed that way until the bottom of the eighth inning when Cole Miglorini was hit by a pitch and scored on a Rick Spiers double to put R-MC out in front 4-3. The Yellow Jackets took a 5-3 advantage on a two-out error by the Maroons.
- Roanoke's rally started with a leadoff double in the top of the ninth by Sean Guida. Sumpter was then hit by a pitch and both runners advanced to second and third base following a bunt from Sam Watson. Howard then doubled down the left field line to score both and tie the game at 5-5. Edwards followed with a double of his own to plate Howard and give RC the lead at 6-5.
- Sal Trancucci retired the side in the ninth inning for Roanoke, after getting Jeff Butler to fly out in foul territory, on a ball that Guida flipped over the right field line fence and caught to preserve the win.
- Trancucci picked up the win to improve to 2-1 on the season after tossing 1.2 innings of relief. He was one of four pitchers that allowed just three hits to the Yellow Jackets. Cam Eck went four innings in relief and gave up just one hit and struck out four.
Up Next: Roanoke will play at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday against an opponent to be determined.
The Basics
ODAC Tournament Final Round
Score: No. 2 Virginia Wesleyan 8 | No. 3 Roanoke 5
Records: Roanoke 29-10 | Virginia Wesleyan 28-12
Location: City Stadium | Lynchburg, Va.
The Lead: Virginia Wesleyan scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth as the Marlins topped the Maroons 8-5 in the first round of the ODAC Tournament.
How it Happened:
- After giving up two runs in the bottom of the first, Roanoke used a three-run second inning to take an early 3-2 lead. Gavin Kandrick and Eli Sumpter kicked off the second with back-to-back singles before Cody Shell drew a walk to load the bases. Sean Guida then hit a bases-clearing double to give the Maroons the lead.
- Pat Burke kept the Marlins scoreless in the third, retiring the side with a pair of strikeouts.
- Virginia Wesleyan scored five runs off four hits in the fourth, highlighted by two straight singles from Jordan Sprouse and Dylan Gentry to start the inning. Corey King drove in two runs later in the inning with a double as VWU closed the inning with a 7-3 advantage.
- Roanoke responded in the top of the fifth as Jack Howard singled through the left side with two outs before Robbie Edwards hit a double plating Howard.
- With the score 8-4 in favor of VWU in the eighth, Dean Hermanson drove in Howard, who reached on a lead-off single, to close the gap to 8-5. That would be as close as the Maroons would get as the Marlins retired the Maroons in order in the top of the ninth to secure the win.
- Jacob Pilarski earned the winning allowing five runs off seven hits through the first 7.2 innings while striking out seven.
- Howard led the way going 2-for-4 while Guida recorded a team-high three RBI. King tallied a team-high three RBI while going 2-for-4.