Hornets Complete Comeback Over VWC
Three Runs in Eighth Overcome Three Run Deficit
April 27, 2007  -  Box Score

LYNCHBURG, Va. --- Lynchburg College (22-17) came back from a three-run deficit through five innings of play to defeat top-seeded Virginia Wesleyan College (23-16) in the second round of the 2007 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Baseball Championship.  The win extends the Hornets season by at least one more game as they avoided an early elimination

Lynchburg found itself down 6-3 going into the top of sixth when the Hornets began their comeback.  Matthew Winston reached with a one-out single and came home on Kyle Bradley’s triple that popped out of the glove the Marlins’ diving centerfielder, Keith Petters.  Jeff Taylor followed with a grounder to second to score Bradley and pull Lynchburg to within one at 6-5.

The Hornets tied the score in the seventh inning with some sound fundamental baseball.  Jonathan Crews led off with a single back up the middle.  He stole second and then moved to third on a grounder to short by Justin Kelly.  Pinch hitter Steven Wickline drove him in with a fly ball to medium-deep left-center to tie the score 6-6.

Lynchburg put runs on the board for the third straight inning with three more tallies in the eighth to break the game open and assume its first lead of the game since the third frame.  Eric Nguyen, the winner of VWC’s victory on Thursday, relieved starter Dave Whigham to open the inning.  Nguyen got Winston to ground out, but Bradley and Taylor followed with singles to put runners on first and third.  Bradley came around to score on fielder’s choice by Ronnie LaBrie back to the mound with Taylor being thrown out at second. 

Pinch hitter Mark Carlson was hit by a pitch to move LaBrie to second, and Jon Crews followed with an infield single to third to load the bases.  Justin Kelly came through with a base-hit the other way to score both LaBrie and Carlson to give Lynchburg a 9-6 lead.

Marlins’ catcher Matt Hudgins had a banner day, going 3-for-4 with five runs batted in.  Hudgins drove in one of two first inning VWC runs with a single and followed that with a long solo homerun to right-field in the third, his sixth homer of the season.  In the fifth inning, he greeted Lynchburg reliever and eventual game winner, D.W. Moore, rudely with a bases clearing three-run double to left-center.

Crews and Winston had three hits apiece for the Hornets while Bradley, Taylor and Eric O’Brien each collected two knocks.  Bradley, Lynchburg’s lead-off hitter, scored three times on the afternoon.

Moore improved to 6-1 on the season with five innings of scoreless relief.  He struck out five in that span, surrendering four hits along the way.  Nguyen took the loss for VWC and fell to 1-3 overall.

Lynchburg’s victory ensures that five teams will remain in the field to begin Saturday’s contests.  The Hornets will match up with #5 Washington & Lee University at 3:00 p.m.  Virginia Wesleyan joins Lynchburg with one win and one loss in the tournament.  The Marlins will play at 11:00 a.m. against the winner of Friday’s nightcap between #2 Hampden-Sydney College and #4 Bridgewater College.