WISE – A thrilling walk-off home run in the second game and timely hitting along with key defensive stops in game three powered the UVA Wise baseball team to the series win over Lincoln Memorial this weekend on the Burchell Stallard Field.
It marks the second season in the row that the Highland Cavaliers have taken the series from LMU and the Cavs have now won four of the last five games against the Railsplitters.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Result Game One: Lincoln Memorial 14, UVA Wise 2 (7 innings)
Result Game Two: UVA Wise 5, Lincoln Memorial 3
Result Game Three: UVA Wise 8, Lincoln Memorial 7
Records: UVA Wise (14-3; 4-2 South Atlantic Conference); LMU (7-7, 3-3 SAC)
Location: Wise, VA | Burchell Stallard Baseball Field
GAME ONE
- A six run second inning put the Railsplitters ahead and the Cavs never could generate enough runs to catch up as they fell 14-2 in a run-rule shortened game.
- The Cavs had nine hits, including two each from
Jaden Ruehling,
Jeb Hurst, and
Morgan Miller.
- UVA Wise's scoring came from a RBI double by Hurst that scored Ruehling in the second inning, and another score by Ruehling off a
Morgan Miller single in the fourth inning.
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Spencer Powell took the loss for the Cavs as he allowed nine runs (eight earned) from eight hits.
GAME TWO
- The second game was more of a defensive struggle, with the Cavs trailing 3-2 entering the bottom of the eighth inning before a three-run walk-off homer by Hurst sealed the win for UVA Wise in extra innings.
- The Cavs outhit LMU 11-7 with
Jacob Boyle accounting for three of them and
Nick Badgett tallying two more. Six other Highland Cavaliers had a hit apiece.
- Badgett scored in the bottom of the first and, after LMU tied it up in the top of the second, hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth to retake the lead.
- LMU tied it up in the top of the sixth from a solo home run and took the 3-2 lead in the eighth via a RBI single.
- The Cavs opened the eighth with a single by Ruehling. After two strikeouts,
Jake Smith came into pinch-hit and singled through the left side.
Jeb Hurst then came up and smashed the first pitch over the right field fence, giving UVA Wise the 5-3 walk-off win.
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Bo Trantham took the win and improved to 4-0 on the season as he pitched three innings in relief and allowed only one run off of three hits.
GAME THREE
- The Cavs took a three run lead in the rubber match on Monday, only to see the Railsplitters take the lead in the sixth inning. The Railsplitters' lead stood until the bottom of the eighth inning when the Cavs exploded for five runs. LMU attempted another comeback in the top of the ninth that fell just short as they scored only three runs and fell 8-7 to the Cavs.
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Joshua Morgan got things going with a solo home run in the second. Another two runs were added in the third after
DJ Dickson doubled to right center, scoring Badgett and
Gage Miller.
- LMU then picked up a run in the fourth and fifth and two more in the sixth to take the 4-3 lead.
- UVA Wise then took the 8-4 lead as Dickson,
Jacob Boyle, Ruehling, Morgan, and Smith all crossed the plate in the eighth inning.
- LMU scored three more in the top of the ninth, but the Cavalier defense got a final ground out with runners on first and third to seal the 8-7 win and take the season series.
- Dickson had two hits to lead the Cavs, while seven other UVA Wise hitters had a hit apiece.
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Ryan Whitson earned the win for UVA Wise as he allowed no hits or runs in relief.
Clayton Lanser came in during the ninth inning with runners on base and earned his first save of the season
UP NEXT
The Cavs will now be off until Friday, when they make the short trip to Emory & Henry for the South Atlantic Conference series vs. the Wasps. First pitch for Friday's game is set for 2 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Saturday starting at noon.
