The Eastern Mennonite baseball team earned an impressive sweep on the road Saturday, taking down Hampden-Sydney College (HSC) by a combined total score of 15-3. The Royals used just two pitchers in the twinbill, as each starter threw all nine innings.
EMU 8, Hampden-Sydney 3
The Royals scored the first run of the game in the top of the second, but HSC answered with single runs in the second and third to jump ahead, 2-1.
The men used small ball to take over in the sixth. Two singles and a sacrifice put runners on the second and third, and B.J. Mortimer (Mechanicsville, VA/Lee-Davis) had the clutch two-out hit, scoring both runners to put EMU up 3-2.
Phillip Jordan (West Point, VA/Christchurch) had an RBI single in the seventh and Justin Rodriguez (Miramar, FL/Pace) knocked in two more with a single in the eighth. Back-to-back RBI doubles from Jonathan Estrada (Miami, FL/Doral Academy) and Kyle Armstrong (Greenville, VA/Riverheads) gave the Royals their final runs in the 8-3 win.
Adam Posey (Poquoson, VA/Poquoson) went the distance from the hill to improve to 4-0. He scattered seven hits, struck out three and allowed two earned runs.
Five men each had two hits in EMU’s 13-hit attack. Rodriguez was 2-4 with two RBIs and a run. Estrada rapped a pair of doubles with a run and an RBI. Ryan McAlister (Bridgewater, VA/Turner Ashby) singled twice and scored twice. Mortimer was 2-5 with two RBIs and a run, while Posey also singled twice and scored.
EMU 7, Hampden-Sydney 0
Senior Daniel Stanley (Henrico, VA/Varina) was in control from the mound in game two, holding the Tigers to just five hits in a complete game shutout. It was his third complete game shutout of the year, and his first of the nine-inning variety, as he improved to 4-2.
The offense took advantage of five Hampden-Sydney errors as five of the seven runs were unearned. EMU played great small ball again in the game, as all eight of their hits were singles and they had four walks and two sacrifices.
Posey and Rodriguez each singled and walked and scored twice.
With the impressive wins, the Royals improve to 13-10 overall and 3-3 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Next up is a non-conference date with Averett on Tuesday in Harrisonburg. Although there have been different start times mentioned, the correct first pitch will be at 4 p.m.