ASHLAND, Va. – The No. 2 Randolph-Macon baseball team holds an 8-4 lead after seven innings in the suspended nightcap against North Carolina Wesleyan. The game will be concluded on Sunday in Rocky Mount, N.C.

The Basics

Score: #2 Randolph-Macon 2-8, North Carolina Wesleyan 7-4 (Game 2 suspended Top 8)

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

Records: R-MC 0-1, NCWC 7-1

How It Happened: Game 2

• The Battling Bishops tallied a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first before the Yellow Jackets fought back. Senior Mike Nickles (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) belted a long home run to right in the third to cut the deficit in half.  
• R-MC would claim the lead an inning later. Seniors Shawn Nickles (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) and Reece Yeargain (Chester, Va./Benedictine) drew walks to start the third. Following a wild pitch, Nickles scored on a sacrifice fly to left by senior Jacob Selden (Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass) to level the score. A single by sophomore Brooks Mazey (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run) plated Yeargain, giving the Yellow Jackets a 3-2 edge.
•  NCWC would tie the game in the top of the fifth before the home team responded in the bottom of the frame. Seniors Ben Marotske (Dumfries, Va./C.D. Hylton), Mike Nickles and Kevin Mooney (Williamsburg, Va./Jamestown) drew one-out walks to fill the bases. Shawn Nickles crushed a grand slam to right to put R-MC ahead 7-3.
• Senior Ryan Duphorn (Erial, N.J./Paul VI) was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on an error in the sixth as the lead grew to 8-3. NCWC added a run in the seventh before play was suspended due to darkness.

By The Numbers

• Senior lefty Zack Radcliffe (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air) is the pitcher of record for R-MC. In 3.0 innings of relief, he allowed one hit, one run, one walk and two strikeouts.

How It Happened: Game 1

• The Battling Bishops scored one in the first, two in the second, one in the fourth and three in the sixth in building a 7-0 lead. The Yellow Jackets had multiple base runners early but could not dent the plate until the bottom of the sixth. Mazey had a leadoff single to center and was erased at second on a fielder's choice by freshman Grayson Bush (Charlottesville, Va./Monticello).  Bush moved to third on a base hit by Duphorn and came home on an infield single by sophomore Ethan Iannuzzi (Chesterfield, Va./Cosby) to make it 7-1. Shawn Nickles drew a leadoff walk and scored on a bases-loaded walk to Iannuzzi in the seventh to make the final 7-2.

By The Numbers

• R-MC stranded 16 runners in seven innings, including 14 over the final five frames.
• Iannuzzi reached base four times. He had two singles, drew a walk and was hit by a pitch.
• Duphorn also had two hits.
• Bush had a single in his first collegiate at-bat.

Up Next

Randolph-Macon will travel to North Carolina Wesleyan on Sunday, March 7 to conclude Game 2 and play a third game in the series.