Lynchburg, Va. -- Graduate student Kinston Carson recorded five hits on the day and drove in four runs as he led University of Lynchburg's baseball team in a doubleheader sweep of York Saturday afternoon by scores of 4-3 and 12-1.

For the fifth time in 2020, the Hornets (6-3) struck first as sophomore Carrson Atkins drew a one-out walk in the first inning and scored on Garrett Jackson's sacrifice fly.

In the top of the second, the Spartans (0-2) answered with two runs of their own on a double from Austin Denlinger to go ahead, 2-1. In the bottom half, the Hornets tied the ballgame at 2-2 after taking advantage of a Spartan miscue.

The very next inning, Atkins singled, stole second, and came around to score on an RBI single from Carson, who later scored on a Jackson double, pushing the Hornet lead to 4-2. 

In the top of the seventh, York inched closer as Davaughn Reid scored from third on a Lynchburg strike-them-out-throw-them-out double-play. However, the Hornets came out victorious in game one as junior Grayson Thurman came into the game in relief of Carson and got the three-inning save, his second of the season. 

In Game 2, York struck first with perfect small-ball execution. A leadoff single to left and a Hornet miscue led to Denlinger standing on second base to open the frame. A sacrifice bunt and a Joe Capobianco single drove in the first York run.

Lynchburg's offense responded right away in their half of the first inning, scoring nine runs on six hits and capitalizing on a Spartan error. Junior Avery Combs and sophomore Brandon Pond each had RBI singles in the inning.

The Lynchburg bats went quiet for the next six innings until four straight hits in the seventh brought home three more Hornet runs. Parker Shaffer singled and came home on a Carson single to center. The very next pitch, Jackson doubled down the left-field line, scoring Carson. Cameron Lane then drove home Jackson with a single, making the Lynchburg lead 12-1. 

Senior Hunter Campbell started on the mound for the Hornets going six strong innings allowing only one earned run and striking out three to earn his second win of the season.

Lynchburg baseball will be back in action Sunday, March 1 with the third game of the series with York. First pitch is set for noon.

--LYN--