ASHLAND, Va. - Junior third baseman Mike Nickles (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) and his brother, junior outfielder Shawn Nickles (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge), both homered in the bottom of the fifth as the 13th-ranked Randolph-Macon baseball team tied Hampden-Sydney 7-7 in ODAC action on Tuesday afternoon.

The Basics

Score: #13 Randolph-Macon 7, Hampden-Sydney 7

Location/Venue: Ashland, Va./Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park

Records: R-MC 14-6-1. 10-3-1 ODAC, H-SC 13-12-2, 7-6-1 ODAC

How It Happened

• After the Tigers tallied two in each of the first two innings, the Yellow Jackets responded in the fifth. Senior outfielder Matthew Blaise (Clifton, Va./Centreville) had a one-out single to right and moved to third on a single by junior outfielder Ryan Duphorn (Erial, N.J./Paul VI). Duphorn took second on the throw. Senior second baseman Jeff Butler (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) singled to short, plating Blaise with R-MC's first run. Mike Nickles crushed a ball to right, his fifth homer of the season, tying the game at 4-4. Sophomore pinch-hitter Kevin Mooney (Williamsburg, Va./Jamestown) drew a walk and came home when Shawn Nickles launched a home run to right, his fourth, to give the Yellow Jackets a 6-4 advantage.
• H-SC plated a run in the top of the sixth to make it a one-run contest. Blaise had a one-out double in the bottom of the frame, moved to third on an infield single by Duphorn and scored on a sacrifice bunt by Butler as R-MC went up 7-5.
• The Tigers put up one in the seventh and scored an unearned run without the benefit of a hit in the top of the ninth. The Yellow Jackets were retired in order in the bottom of the ninth. The game was halted due to darkness.

By The Numbers

• Blaise finished with two hits and two runs.
• Butler went 2 for 3 with one run and two RBI. Butler became the program leader in career at-bats with 606. He tied Jeb Weymouth for the top spot with 145 career runs. Butler has 214 career hits, trailing leader Jordan Walton's total of 215.

Up Next

• Randolph-Macon will remain at home to host William Peace on Wednesday, April 10 at 3:30 p.m. on Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park.