Lynchburg, Va. -- University of Lynchburg baseball graduate student O'Kelly McWilliams IV hit a walk-off double to lift the Hornets past Mary Washington 7-6 and complete a six-run comeback on Wednesday afternoon.
Mary Washington built its six-run lead by the fifth inning on six hits. After the Eagles finished scoring six straight, the Hornets began their comeback with seven unanswered runs. Brandon Garcia got the rally started with a single to score Joe Munitz in the fifth. In the eighth, Ryan Long pushed another run across with a bases-loaded RBI groundout, then Munitz cleared the bases with a three-run blast: his second homer of the year.
In the ninth, trailing by one, Eric Hiett led off with a single. Sean Pokorak hit a pinch-hit double, and Munitz was walked to load the bases. With two outs, McWilliams came to the plate already 3-3 on the day with a walk. He belted a double to right-center, scoring a pair of pinch runners, Ethan Smith and Eddie Gimbel. Neither McWilliams or Garcia made an out at the plate Wednesday combining to go 5-5 with four walks and a hit-by-pitch.
Lynchburg's comeback was also made possible thanks to 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief work from Mason McDowell, Austin Riney, and Jack Bachmore. McDowell pitched 2 2/3 innings of shutout ball with three strikeouts, Riney gave Lynchburg a clean eighth, and Bachmore shut down the Eagles in the ninth and earned his first win of the season.
Lynchburg (24-13, 12-8 ODAC) takes on Guilford on the road Saturday, April 27 in a double-header loaded with playoff implications. Two wins, two losses, or a split all play different roles in determining where Lynchburg finishes in the standings. The Hornets are currently in a three-way tie for third place with Shenandoah and Bridgewater. The top-four seeds host first-round series in the playoffs beginning Friday, May 3.
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