SALEM, Va. - Senior second baseman Jeff Butler (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) went 2 for 4 with one run and one RBI as the top-seeded Randolph-Macon baseball team dropped a 5-4 decision to third-seeded Shenandoah Saturday afternoon in the championship game of the 2019 ODAC Tournament.

The Basics

Score: #3 Shenandoah 5, #1 Randolph-Macon 4

Location/Venue: Haley Toyota Field/Salem Memorial Ballpark

Records: R-MC 28-10-1, SU 31-12

How It Happened

• The Hornets scored one in the first and four in the second for an early 5-0 advantage.
• The Yellow Jackets got on the board in the third. Junior shortstop Zach Evans (Fort Mill, S.C./Seneca) had a leadoff single and moved to second on a base hit by senior outfielder Matthew Blaise (Clifton, Va./Centreville). Junior outfielder Ryan Duphorn (Erial, N.J./Paul VI) reached first on a bunt single to load the bases with none away. Evans scored on a wild pitch, and Blaise came home on a groundout as R-MC made it a 5-2 game.
• Butler had a leadoff single in the sixth, advanced to third on a base hit by junior third baseman Mike Nickles (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge). Butler would score on a double play as the Yellow Jackets pulled within two at 5-3.
• Junior Reece Yeargain (Chester, Va./Benedictine) started the seventh with a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch, went to third on a base hit by junior first baseman Cole Grinde (Woodford, Va./Caroline) and scored on a sacrifice fly by Evans to make it a one-run game at 5-4.
• Butler had a leadoff single in the eighth, but was stranded at first. R-MC was retired in order in the ninth to end the contest.
• Junior right-hander Tyler Dunn (Salisbury, Md./James M. Bennett) pitched for the second time on Saturday. He came in with the bases loaded and no outs in the fifth. Dunn got a popout to second, a strikeout and a groundout to first to end the threat with no runs.
• Sophomore left-hander Zack Radcliffe (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) pitched 3.2 hitless innings of relief. He took the mound in the sixth and retired the first seven batters he faced. Radcliffe walked a hitter with one away in the eighth, but rolled a double play ball to end the inning. Frankie Ritter reached second on an error with one away in the top of the ninth. Radcliffe fanned the next hitter to conclude his stint. Senior right-hander Tommy Barron (Chester, Va./Thomas Dale) fanned the final hitter in the ninth.

By The Numbers

• Blaise went 2 for 3 with a run.
• Mike Nickles also had two hits.

Notes

• Randolph-Macon will find out on Monday, May 13 if it will receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
• The Yellow Jackets had six players named to the ODAC All-Tournament Team: Butler, Blaise, Mike Nickles, Grinde, senior right-hander Nick Roth (Henrico, Va./Benedictine) and sophomore DH Kevin Mooney (Williamsburg, Va./Jamestown).