Lynchburg, Va. -- The Lynchburg College baseball team battled to an Old Dominion Athletic Conference split with Emory & Henry Saturday afternoon at home, dropping the opener, 11-3, before bouncing back for an 11-8 nightcap victory.

Sophomore right fielder Austin Keesee (Chesterfield, Va.) had four hits in Lynchburg's victory, scoring three runs and driving in a pair, and senior catcher Matthew Stevens (Annandale, Va.) collected three hits and four RBI on the day.

THE RUNDOWN

Game 1 Final: Emory & Henry 11, Lynchburg 3

Game 2 Final: Lynchburg 11, Emory & Henry 8

Records: Lynchburg (12-11, 5-6 ODAC), Emory & Henry (9-9, 2-7 ODAC)

Venue: James C. Fox Field, Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, Va.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Game 1

- Lynchburg struggled offensively in the early going as Wasps starter Gavin Felty kept Hornet hitters off balance. Meanwhile, E&H played a pair in the top of the second and three more in the third for a 5-0 lead. Felty went 7 ⅓ innings, allowing four hits and two runs to earn the win.

- The Hornets were unable to bring around runners in scoring position in the fourth and fifth innings as the Wasps added to their lead with three more in the fifth for an 8-0 lead.

- Trailing 11-0 after six, Lynchburg got on the board in the eighth on RBI hits by senior center fielder Brad Hylton (Danville, Va.) and Stevens.

- The Hornets got 3 ⅓ innings of scoreless relief from sophomore Michael Foxwell (Eldersburg, Md.), freshman Santiago Meneses (Guatemala City, GUATEMALA), and senior Jeremy Blasiole (Smithfield, Va.) to close out the game.

Game 2

- The tables turned on the back end of the doubleheader as Lynchburg leapt out to an early lead on a two-run single from junior shortstop Thomas Powell (Stanardsville, Va.) in the bottom of the first.

- LC added three more runs in the third, highlighted by Stevens' two-run single, and four in the sixth, led by a two-run single from sophomore third baseman Colin Corey (Springfield, Va.).

- Meanwhile, the Hornet pitching kept E&H's offense quiet. Freshman starter Jason Wood (Gloucester, Va.) began the game with two shutout innings, and senior David Goulding (Lynchburg, Va.) ate up the next 6 ⅓ innings for his second win of the season.

- Eighth-inning RBIs by freshman second baseman Parker Shaffer (Richmond, Va.) and Keesee proved pivotal as the Wasps came charging back late. Junior Graham Boggio (Midlothian, Va.) put out the fire in the ninth inning, recording the last two outs of the game for his first save of the season.

LOOKING AHEAD

Lynchburg will continue its homestand on Tuesday, April 3 with a non-conference contest against Greensboro College at 3 p.m.

--LC--