ASHLAND, Va. – Senior Travis Lodge (Chesterfield, Va./Matoaca) belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to snap a 6-6 tie in the nightcap as the No. 32 Randolph-Macon baseball team swept a doubleheader Sunday and a three-game weekend series from Rowan on Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park.

The Yellow Jackets took the opener 7-0 and eked out an 8-7 win in Game 2. R-MC improved to 9-0, setting a program record for consecutive wins to start a season. All nine victories coming against teams either nationally ranked or receiving votes in one of the national polls.

With the score knotted at 6-6 in the nightcap, senior Mitchell Keeler (Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) was hit by a pitch with one away in the eighth. Lodge launched a homer over the left field fence, his second of the series and third of the season, to give the Yellow Jackets an 8-6 lead.

The Profs (0-3) used back-to-back doubles in the top of the ninth to pull within one, but sophomore Christian Cok (Chester, S.C./Lewisville) got a groundout and strikeout to strand the tying run on third and record his second save.

Junior Nic Phelps (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) earned the victory, tossing two hitless innings with one walk and four strikeouts.

Rowan scored twice in the first, once in the second and three times in the fourth to take a 6-0 lead. R-MC got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. With two away, sophomore Cole Migliorini (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) tripled down the right field line and scored on a single by senior Michael Trentham (Midlothian, Va./James River). The Yellow Jackets added a run in the fifth as freshman Jeffrey Butler (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) ripped a one-out double and eventually scored on a bases-loaded walk to Lodge to make it a 6-2 contest.

The Yellow Jackets tied it with a two-out rally in the sixth. Senior Christian Sanderson (Lynchburg, Va./Jefferson Forest) started the outburst with a bunt single to the left side. He moved to second when Butler was hit by a pitch. Junior Herminio Azor (Fairfax, Va./Robinson) laced a single to center to drive in Sanderson, making it 6-3. After Keeler walked to load the bases, Lodge drew a base on balls to force in Butler, pulling R-MC with two. Migliorini ripped a single to right, bringing home Azor and Keeler to knot the score at 6.

Lodge went 2 for 3 with four RBI, Migliorini was 3 for 4 with two RBI for the Yellow Jackets.

In the opener, freshman Colin Selby (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) hurled eight shutout innings with four hits, one walk and one strikeout top raise his record to 2-0.

The Yellow Jackets erupted for five in the first. With one away, junior Jordan Schmeer (Richmond, Va./Benedictine) drew a walk. Keeler and Lodge were hit by pitches to load the bases. Migliorini walked to force in the first run. Sophomore Rick Spiers (South Chesterfield, Va./Matoaca) singled to left to bring home Keeler and make it 2-0. Junior Stuart Brown (Midlothian, Va./Trinity) reached on a fielder's choice to drive in Lodge with the third run. Junior Jay Patti (Sparks, Md./Hereford) ripped a triple to right center to drive in two and give R-MC a 5-0 lead.

Butler led off the second with a single, stole second, moved to third on a fielder's choice and scored on a base hit to center by Keeler as the Yellow Jackets took a 6-0 lead. Lodge was plunked a second time before Migliorini doubled to right to bring home Keeler and make it a 7-0 contest.

Keeler went 2 for 4 with two runs and one RBI.

Randolph-Macon returns to action on Wednesday, March 2, in a 2 p.m. contest at St. Mary's.