ASHLAND, Va. – The Lemon and Black racked up season-highs in hits (15) and runs (15) driving them to their third consecutive win and a series sweep.
The Basics
Score: (RV) Randolph-Macon 15, Johnson & Wales 6
Venue: Ashland, Va. // Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park // Randolph-Macon College
Records: (RV) Randolph-Macon (6-2, 1-1 ODAC), Johnson and Wales (1-2, 0-0, CNE)
How It Happened:
- In the top of the first inning, the Wildcats generated early offense, as a single, walk and batter hit by pitch loaded the bases. The Yellow Jackets limited the damage to just one run, after a walk forced a Wildcat across the plate.
- Jack Bowles (Mechanicsville, Va./Hanover) wasted no time, as he took the second pitch he saw down the left field line for a leadoff double. Carter Schmitt (Glen Allen, Va./St. Christopher's) nearly replicated the placement of the previous hit, as he laced a single to left, which moved Bowles across the plate for RMC's first run. After Schmitt's RBI, Zach Stolze (Towson, Md./Loyola Blakefield) proceeded to drive a single to right, giving the Yellow Jackets runners on the corners. They went on to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first, after Stolze and Schmitt executed a double-steal.
- The bottom of the third saw Zach Wernoski (Chapel Hill, N.C./East Chapel Hill) make his way to second base after a pair of Wildcat errors. Once Schmitt moved him over with a grounder to first, Stolze laced a line drive at the third baseman that resulted in an error. Some heads up baserunning from Wernoski helped give his team a 3-1 lead, as he crossed home and Stolze moved to third. Jon Quici (Paoli, Pa./Conestoga) took the second pitch of his at-bat for a single to left, driving Stolze in to give RMC a 4-1 lead after three.
- A walk and a line drive to right gave JWU runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the fourth. After a past ball moved the runners to second and third, a single up the middle drove both runners in, closing the gap to 3-4.
- CJ Chatterton (Rockville, Md./Georgetown Prep) fired back in the bottom of the fourth, as he led off with a single, before stealing second for his second of the season. Chatterton then tagged up to third, thanks to a high fly out to right field by Caleb Hawton-Henley (Fairfax, Va./St. John's Prep). Bowles then pulled a ball to right, driving in the Yellow Jackets leadoff hitter in for a 5-3 advantage. On the following pitch, Wernoski tattooed a double down the left field line, driving in Bowles for RMC's sixth run of the game. Up 6-3, Schmitt continued his hot hitting and drove a ball to left, batting Wernoski home to increase the cushion to 7-3. The offensive barrage didn't stop there, as Brian Fleming (Rehoboth, Del./Cape Henlopen) dropped a double into right field for an 8-3 lead, scoring Schmitt. Quici moved the line for the last time in the inning as he belted a hard single up the middle to drive Fleming across the plate, ballooning the Lemon and Black cushion to 9-3.
- The pressure continued into the bottom of the fifth, after the Jackets batted around to Chatterton, who again ripped a single to right. Bowles drew a four-pitch walk before Chatterton stole third, giving RMC runners on the corners once again. Wernoski dropped a ground ball towards the shortstop, but he was unable to make the play, permitting Chatterton to make the game 10-3. Schmitt reached base yet again after earning a walk before Stolze was hit by a pitch, granting Bowles home plate for the Lemon and Black's 11th run of the contest. They were then able to make the score 12-3, after Jacob Hauk (Elllicott City, Md./Loyola Blakefield) entered as a pinch hitter and worked the count for a walk. The Yellow Jackets went on to surge the score out to 14-3, as a result of a hard ground ball from Quici that the first basemen could not come up with.
- In the bottom of the sixth, two Wildcats singled before a two out home run over the left field fence closed the deficit to 6-14.
- Schmitt drew a leadoff walk to get RMC its first baserunner in the bottom of the seventh. Stolze followed it up with a base on balls of his own, before Quici roped a ball to right field, pushing Schmitt home for Randolph-Macon's 15th run.
By The Numbers:
- After recording a season-high 15 hits in the contest, Randolph-Macon has now totaled eight-or-more in all their eight games played this year.
- Furthermore, the Yellow Jackets have notched 12-or-more hits in three of their past five games.
- The Lemon and Black posted five runs in both the fourth and fifth innings, setting a new tied single-inning season-high mark.
- With no errors in the contest, Randolph-Macon kept itself without an error in both of its games against Johnson & Wales.
- RMC won the RBI battle, 12-to-six, and left one less runner on base than JWU.
- Schmitt went three-for-four at the plate with three singles, a walk and a stolen base, racking up four runs and a two RBI.
- Quici tied Schmitt with a game-high three hits, and notched a season and game-high four RBI.
- Bowles, Chatterton, Stolze and Fleming all tallied two hits in the eight innings of play. Wernoski led the group with two RBI, while Bowles, Stolze, Fleming and Hauk each had one.
- Chatterton tied his career-high with three stolen bases in the game, with a walk and two runs.
Up Next
The Lemon and Black travel to Winchester, Va., where they will take on #22 Shenandoah in a doubleheader. Game one is set for noon on Saturday, March 7.
