ASHLAND, Va. – The Yellow Jackets shut the Tigers out for the final six innings of the game, giving RMC its fourth consecutive win and second win in two days against HSC.
The Basics
Score: (RV) Randolph-Macon 10, Hampden-Syndey 3
Venue: Ashland, Va. // Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park // Randolph-Macon College
Records: (RV) Randolph-Macon (18-11, 9-6 ODAC), Hampden Sydney (15-18, 8-9 ODAC)
How It Happened:
- In the top of the first, the first two Tigers posted a single and a double to get two runners into scoring position. After a strikeout, HSC was able to get a sacrifice fly deep enough to create a 1-0 lead.
- Randolph-Macon got right back in the bottom of the first, as Zach Wernoski (Chapel Hill, N.C./East Chapel Hill) doubled and then took third thanks to a Tiger error. In the following at bat, Carter Schmitt (Glen Allen, Va./St. Christopher's) was hit by the first pitch he saw, before Logan Duff (Forest, Va./Liberty Christian) knocked them both in with a double down the left field line. Still with one out, RMC was able to take a 3-0 lead, as a chopper ground ball from Justin Lanouette (Chantilly, Va./Freedom) forced another error from the visitors, pushing Duff home. Once a walk and a pickoff attempt error allowed Jon Quici (Paoli, Pa./Conestoga) and Lanouette to take second and third, James Baffone (Wilmington, Del./St. Mark's) laced a double to deep left, earning two more RBI and his team a 5-1 lead. Caleb Hawton-Henley (Fairfax, Va./St. John's Prep) buried a single the other way, allowing Baffone to round the bases for a 6-1 RMC cushion.
- The Tigers got two runs back in the top of the third, as a walk and two errors allowed one baserunner to advance from first to home. They were then able to drive the second one in with a single up the middle, closing the gap to 3-6.
- Quici knocked the first pitch he saw to left for a single in the bottom of the third. Zach Stolze (Towson, Md./Loyola Blakefield) followed with a hustle double, which allowed a single from Baffone to increase the count to 8-3. Hawtwon-Henley dropped a single into right and then stole second, putting him and Baffone at second and third. With two Yellow Jackets on, Jack Bowles (Mechanicsville, Va./Hanover) tallied a deep sacrifice fly to center field, permitting Baffone to tag up for the 9-3 lead.
- Lanouette drew a walk on a full count and then stole second in the bottom of the seventh. A sacrifice fly from Stolze moved him to third, allowing Baffone to rip a single to left to make the score 10-3.
By The Numbers:
- Randolph-Macon out-hit Hampden-Syndey, 15-to-five, resulting in a 10-to-three RBI advantage.
- The Yellow Jackets saw the Tigers commit five errors, while the home squad only had two.
- RMC was all over the basepath, as they stole four bags compared to one from HSC.
- The Lemon and Black only walked two batters, leading the game .876-to-.501 in OPS.
- Cory Fisher (Salisbury, Md./James M. Bennett) did not allow a hit in his 15 batters faced.
- Baffone led the way for Randolph-Macon with three hits (Two 2B, One 1B), five RBI, two runs and a stolen base.
- He tied his career-high with three hits, but set a new career best with his five runs batted in.
- Hawton-Henley also had a career day, as he had new highs in hits (three) and runs (three), while stealing a base and tallying an RBI.
- Lanouette and Quici each had two hits in the game and they each had a run. Lanouette also added a walk, RBI and stolen base for his team.
- Duff finished second on the team with his two RBI, as his double brought two home early. He added a run and caught a Tiger stealing.
For the Record:
- With his run today, Schmitt now has 132 in his career. With the mark, the senior ties Mitchell Keeler (2013-19) for the ninth-most in program history.
- Furthermore, after registering four at-bats, Schmitt now has appeared at the plate 562 times. With the value, he surpassed Greg Meleski (2006-09) for the sixth-most in program history.
Up Next
The Yellow Jackets travel to Danville, Va., for a noon doubleheader against Averett on Saturday, April 18.
