Lynchburg, Va. -- The University of Lynchburg baseball team allowed 17 hits on Saturday and dropped the 2024 home opener at Fox Field 11-6 against York (Pa.).
Despite Lynchburg boasting a 22-1 home record during the 2023 season, the Spartans posted a trio of three-run innings to spoil Lynchburg's home debut. York tallied seven extra-base hits including two bases-clearing triples.
Wesley Arrington started for the Hornets and threw five innings, allowing five runs and seven hits. The graduate student did tally seven strikeouts.
In the first inning, after a miscue on a dropped-third strike with two outs prolonged the frame, Michael Tinneny tripled to right field driving in two unearned runs.
Lynchburg responded in the third when Benton Jones drove home his middle-infield partner Brandon Garcia. York pitcher Bryce Shaffer maneuvered through heavy base traffic late in the inning to maintain the one-run lead: That is, until the fifth.
Sean Pokorak stepped to the plate in the nine-hole spot and homered to left. Lynchburg's carousel continued with a triple from Jones to drive home two more runs. Eric Hiett drove in another with a sacrifice fly to right.
In a roller-coaster scoring battle, York returned the favor and tied the contest in the sixth. Lynchburg turned to its bullpen, though York extended the lead to 8-5 in the seventh inning with a pair of doubles.
The Hornets cut the deficit to two after a balk sent O'Kelly McWilliams IV home with the bases loaded. York, despite opening the inning with three free passes, slammed the door shut on consecutive strikeouts.
After adding three insurance runs in the ninth, the Spartans escaped with an 11-6 victory to befall the Hornets in their home debut.
Jones and Pokorak each earned multiple hits for Lynchburg, while both squads left eight runners on base. McWilliams displayed his base-running athleticism with two more stolen bases, upping his season tally to 11.
Lynchburg falls to 4-3 on the season after two winning weekends on the road against many of DIII's finest programs. The Hornets return to Fox Field on Sunday, March 3 for double-dip action against the Spartans starting at 11 a.m. The second game is slated to start at 2 p.m.
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--LYN--
