Northern Neck Times

#14 R-MC Baseball Rallies to Edge #16 CNU

 Freshman pinch-hitter Carter Schmitt (Glen Allen, Va./St. Christopher's) drove in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth, his first collegiate RBI, and junior lefty Cole Stamm (Irvington, Va./Middlesex) recorded the final two outs for his sixth save as the 14th-ranked Randolph-Macon baseball team nipped No. 16 Christopher Newport 6-5 on Thursday afternoon.

The Basics

Score: Randolph-Macon 6, Christopher Newport 5

Site/Venue: Ashland, Va./Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park

Records: R-MC 12-2, CNU 17-6

How It Happened

• The Yellow Jackets started the scoring in the bottom of the third. Sophomore Aidan Pinto (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) drew a leadoff walk and went to third on a single by junior Grayson Bush (Charlottesville, Va./Monticello). An errant pickoff throw to first allowed Pinto to score and moved Bush to second. A base hit by senior Ethan Iannuzzi (Chesterfield, Va./Cosby) brought home Bush to make it 2-0. Iannuzzi scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Lincoln Lubsen (Williamsburg, Va./Walsingham Academy) and junior Myles Webb (Norfolk, Va./Granby) reached on an error and came home on a two-out single by sophomore Aaron Lautenschlager (Purcellville, Va./Loudoun Valley) as RMC built a 4-0 advantage.
• The Captains put up three in the fourth and threatened again in the fifth. CNU had a leadoff double and loaded the bases with one away, but reliever Patrick Routsis (Midlothian, Va./St. Christopher's) got a popout and a flyout to keep the home team on top.
• CNU got a leadoff single in the sixth and sacrificed him to second. Senior Brennan Tyznar (Bon Air, Va./Trinity) recorded a strikeout and a flyout to keep the Yellow Jackets on top.
• The Captains would plate two in the top of the seventh to take a 5-4 edge before RMC responded in the bottom of the frame. Junior Hunter Cole (Norfolk, Va./Granby) had a leadoff double, was sacrificed to third by senior Logan Smith (Midlothian, Va./Midlothian) and scored on a single by Lautenschlager to level the score at 5-5.
• Junior Cole Snead (Haymarket, Va./Battlefield) stranded a runner in the top of the eighth to keep the game tied. In the bottom of the eighth, Iannuzzi had a one-out single and went to second on a base hit by Webb. With two away, Schmitt came off the bench and delivered a single to drive in Iannuzzi and put the Yellow Jackets on top 6-5.
• Snead recorded the first out in the top of the ninth and turned the ball over to Stamm. He allowed a pair of two-out hits but fanned the final hitter to earn his sixth save in six appearances, two away from the program record for saves in a season.

By The Numbers

• Both teams had double-figure hits. RMC recorded 13 hits and left 11 on base. CNU had 12 hits and stranded 12.
• Iannuzzi went 2 for 4 with a walk, two runs and one RBI. He extended his hitting streak to 11 games and has reached base safely in all 14 games this season.
• Lautenschlager had two hits and two RBI.
• Bush had two hits and a run to extend his hitting streak to 10.
• Webb extended his hitting streak to 14 games.
• Snead earned the victory and improved to 3-0.

For The Record

• RMC defeated CNU for the second time this season. The Yellow Jackets have won five straight over the Captains over the past four seasons and won 13 of 14 meetings since 2016.
• The Yellow Jackets committed two errors, their first game this season with multiple miscues.
• RMC has outscored its opponents 20-3 over the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.
• The Yellow Jackets are 10-0 when scoring six or more runs.

Up Next

R-MC will host Washington and Lee in an ODAC doubleheader on Saturday, March 18 at noon on Hugh Stephens Field at Estes Park.

Original source can be found here