ASHLAND, Va. - Junior outfielder Ryan Duphorn (Erial, N.J./Paul VI) had four hits and six RBI, while junior third baseman Mike Nickles (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) had five hits and four RBI as the top-seeded Randolph-Macon baseball team swept a doubleheader from eighth-seeded Eastern Mennonite Friday afternoon in the first round of the ODAC Tournament to advance to the second round next weekend in Salem, Va.

The Basics

Scores: Game 1: Randolph-Macon 13, Eastern Mennonite 1

Game 2: Randolph-Macon 11, Eastern Mennonite 1

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

Records: R-MC 25-8-1, EMU 16-23-1

How It Happened

Game 1

• Senior right-hander Nick Roth (Henrico, Va./Benedictine) tossed seven innings with five hits, one run, no walks and eight strikeouts to record the win and raise his record to 9-0.
• The Yellow Jackets started the scoring in the second. With two away, junior first baseman Cole Grinde (Woodford, Va./Caroline) singled to right. Sophomore shortstop Zach Evans (Fort Mill, S.C./Seneca) and senior outfielder Matthew Blaise (Clifton, Va./Centreville) drew walks to load the bases. Duphorn delivered a two-run single to give R-MC an early 2-0 lead.
• The home team erupted for six runs in the fourth. Senior second baseman Jeff Butler (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) had an RBI single to make it 3-0. Mike Nickles doubled the score with a three-run homer, his seventh long ball of the season, to make it 6-0. Junior outfielder Shawn Nickles (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) launched a two-run dinger, his eighth of the season, to give the Yellow Jackets an 8-0 lead.
• The Royals struck for one in the top of the fifth before R-MC answered in the bottom of the frame. Duphorn had a sacrifice fly and junior catcher Reece Yeargain (Chester, Va./Benedictine) drew a bases-loaded walk as the lead grew to 10-1.
• Duphorn had an RBI double in the sixth, his fourth RBI of the game, as the Yellow Jackets went up 11-1.
• Mike Nickles tripled and scored on a fielder's choice in the seventh, and Yeargain walked and scored on an error later in the frame, as the lead expanded to 13-1.

By The Numbers - Game 1

• Duphorn was 2 for 4 with four RBI.
• Mike Nickles was a double short of the cycle, going 3 for 3 with two walks, two runs and three RBI.
• Evans went 1 for 3 with two walks and three runs.
• Blaise was 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs.

Game 2

• Junior right-hander Michael Zubovich (Chantilly, Va./Freedom) allowed just one run in 6.0 innings in Game 2. Zubovich (8-0) gave up six hits, did not walk a batter and fanned four
• The Yellow Jackets were the visiting team in Game 2. In the top of the third, Butler belted an RBI double for an early 1-0 lead.
• In the fourth, Shawn Nickles doubles and scored on an error. Grinde had a sacrifice fly and Duphorn added a run-scoring single to give R-MC a 4-0 lead.
• Evans delivered a two-run double with two away in the fifth as the advantage widened to 6-0.
• In the sixth, Duphorn had an RBI double, while Yeargain and Shawn Nickles added run-scoring singles as the lead expanded to 9-0.
• Mike Nickles had an RBI single in the eighth and Butler added one in the ninth as R-MC posted the 11-1 victory.

By The Numbers

• Duphorn had two hits, two runs and two RBI.
• Butler had three hits and two RBI
• Mike Nickles went 2 for 4 with one run and one RBI.
• Shawn Nickles had three hits, one run and one RBI.
• Evans had two hits and two RBI.
• R-MC's starting pitchers combined to hurl 13 innings with 11 hits, two runs, no walks and 12 strikeouts.

Up Next

• Randolph-Macon will the top seed in next weekend's second round of the ODAC Tournament. The Yellow Jackets will play the No. 4 seed on Friday, May 10 at 4 p.m. at Haley Toyota Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark.