The Roanoke College Baseball team nearly pulled out a sweep against ODAC-foe, Virginia Wesleyan over the weekend in a big conference doubleheader.  The men knocked off the Marlins, 10-1 in the first game, but blew a three-run lead in the bottom of the ninth and fell, 8-7 in the twin bill.  The Maroons are now 10-10 overall, 2-2 in the ODAC, while the Marlins record stands at 4-10, 1-3 in conference play.
 
Mark Wimmer (2-4) pitched a complete game in picking up his second win of the season.  He finished with six strikeouts and allowed only two walks and one run.  Trae Lambert took the loss for the home team.  Starting pitcher Justin Payne was pulled after three innings, giving up seven runs and 10 hits.
 
The Maroons took the lead for good in their first at bat, scoring a game-high four runs in the first.  They tacked on a run in the second and two more in both the fourth and sixth innings to secure their second victory ever over the Marilins.  It's their first win over VWC since a 3-1 triumph in 2007.  The 10 runs and 16 hits are the most ever scored against VWC.
 
Mark Manthe went 2-for-5 with a team-best four RBI as Brian Kluge went 3-for-5 with three runs and a stolen base to pace the Maroons.  Matt Wallman went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI while Ben Amos drew two walks and had a double and a triple with two RBI and two runs scored.  Dalton Lipes and Chad Hill also collected two hits to help the Maroons cause.
 
In the twin bill, the Maroons started out the same as the first game, scoring three runs in their first at bat and adding one more in the second inning to take a 4-0 lead.  The Marlins scored twice in the bottom half of that inning and once more in the fifth to make it 4-3 heading into the top of the eighth.
 
Caylen Baire opened the top of the eighth with a single and he scored off a triple from Kluge.  Bradley Mattox's RBI-single scored Kluge to make it 6-3.  After the Marlins scored a run to cut the lead to within two heading into the top of the ninth, Jacob Clifton's double down the leftfield line scored Wallman to give the Maroons a three-run lead.
 
Three outs away from their first-ever sweep over Virginia Wesleyan, the Marlins scored four runs to win second of their last three games.
 
Michael Haslam pitched six complete innings in a no decision effort, as he allowed three runs and scattered six hits.  Austin Gregory (1-1) took the loss for the Maroons, striking out two batters in 1.1 innings.
 
The men will travel down to Emory & Henry in ODAC action on March 20.  Game time is scheduled for 3:00 PM.
 
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