Shenandoah Slips Past Roanoke in ODAC Baseball Tournament Opener

Shenandoah Slips Past Roanoke in ODAC Baseball Tournament Opener

The Basics
Score: No. 1 Shenandoah 4, No. 6 Roanoke 2
Records: Roanoke 25-16 | Shenandoah 35-6
Location: Lynchburg, Va. 

The Lead: Top-seeded Shenandoah scored a 4-2 victory over sixth-seeded Roanoke in the first game of the 2017 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament on Friday in Lynchburg. 

How it Happened

  • Roanoke got on the board first in the second inning when Dean Hermanson and Drew Mikula each singled to open the frame and moved up a base on a Scott Ellis bunt. Will Black walked to load the bases with two outs before Hermanson scored on a wild pitch to make it 1-0. 
  • Shenandoah tied the game in the next half inning when it took advantage of a two-out error by the Maroons that allowed Neil Dutton to score and make it a 1-1 game. 
  • In the Roanoke fifth, Black singled to open the inning and moved to second on an Eli Sumpter bunt. With two outs, Collier Donald doubled to plate Black and give RC a 2-1 lead. 
  • In the SU sixth inning, Jake Loew tripled off the right field wall to score both Nick Goode and Abel Arocho to give the Hornets a 3-2 lead. 
  • Shenandoah tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning, taking advantage of a two-out error by RC to extend its lead to 4-2.
  • Ellis singled to lead off of the ninth inning but Tyler Hott got a game ending double play to seal the win.
  • John Ruhlman (3-6) allowed just five hits and two earned runs in a complete game effort for the Maroons. Hott saved the win for Colin Morse who went seven innings, allowing two runs on seven hits improving to 9-0 on the season. 
  • Will Decker had two hits for RC, while Loew had two hits for SU.

Up Next: Roanoke will face No. 5 Hampden-Sydney in an elimination game slated for 11:00 am Saturday at City Stadium in Lynchburg. Va.