Greensboro, N.C. -- The University of Lynchburg baseball team defeated second-ranked Salisbury 8-5 on Friday night at the D3 Showcase.
Lynchburg never trailed and led by seven runs at one point in the fourth inning, Wesley Arrington earned the win with five innings of work, and O'Kelly McWilliams IV went 2-4 at the plate with two RBI, one run, one walk, and three stolen bases.
McWilliams IV started the scoring for Lynchburg in the bottom of the first during a double-steal of home. On the backend of the play, Benton Jones (who stole second and drew the throw to allow McWilliams to nab home) was caught celebrating off the second-base bag for the second out of the inning. He was the second Hornet to be picked off in the inning.
Despite early baserunning blunders, Lynchburg owned the basepaths, stealing six bases in the game and scoring on a wild pitch. The Hornets also limited their errors as Salisbury made three mistakes with the glove that led to two unearned runs on singles from Josh Gjormand and Eric Hiett.
The complexion of Arrington's outing changed in the fifth when he allowed a three-run home run, but after the Hornets scored eight runs in their first four trips to the plate, Arrington finished the fifth and was in line for the win.
Lynchburg was held hitless in the final four innings, but the Hornet bullpen, featuring Austin Riney and Mason McDowell, kept the Hornets in the driver's seat. Riney went three innings and held the Seagulls to two hits and one run, then McDowell earned the save pitching to the game-tying run with two outs. He also struck out two.
The Hornets (3-1) are ranked sixth in the d3baseball.com poll, and they take on No. 8 Marietta and No. 10 Cortland at 1:15 p.m. and 4:45 p.m., respectively, on Saturday, Feb. 24 from Greensboro, N.C.
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--LYN--