Box Score HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA-The Hampden-Sydney Tigers downed Virginia Wesleyan 7-5 while seeing a complete game from Zach Whitaker (Roanoke, VA/Patrick Henry) and late game heroics from Hunter Lewis (Newport News, VA/Menchville) and Jeff Gray (Newport News, VA/Menchville) who hit the game-tying RBI and game-winning walk off homerun, respectively. With the key ODAC victory, Hampden-Sydney improves to 16-15-1 overall and 8-7 in the ODAC while the Marlins drop to 9-21 and 6-9 in conference.
Whitaker improves to 5-2 on the year and struck out 12 batters in the nine-inning effort. Two of his five runs were allowed on nine hits and two walks.
Sophomore Christian Hamlett (Midlothian, VA/Midlothian) continued his hot streak with a lead off triple to score the game's first run on a Lewis RBI. The hit also extended Hamlett's hit streak to 16 consecutive games.
Neither team found success in the second, but the Marlins knotted the game at 1-1 with a run in the third. Later in the fifth, a sacrifice fly from Kenny Belgrave scored Evan Polk to put Virginia Wesleyan up 2-1.
The game hit its second tie in the sixth, as Beau Flinchum (Ashland, VA/Hanover) was able to score on an RBI-single from James Keller (Fredericksburg, VA/VMI). Patrick Kuhns (Stafford, VA/North Stafford) then helped reclaim the Tiger lead with a single that batted in Andrew Tucker (Fincastle, VA/James River). Kuhns also played a part in the Tigers' fourth run, as his steal attempt forced a throw to second and allowed Keller to take off from third.
Virginia Wesleyan closed the gap in the eighth with a run, and nearly tied the game with runners on first and second, but Whitaker notched his 11th strikeout of the day to end the inning.
The Marlins continued to comeback, however, and added two runs in the top of the ninth to go up 5-4 with just three outs remaining for the Tigers. A costly error put lead off man Jack Elliott (Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair) on base. The Tigers played small ball, and two outs later Lewis was up to bat and tied the game with an RBI-single. Just a few pitches later, Gray knocked the game winner over the fence with a two-run homer.
Lewis, Gray, and Flinchum each recorded two of the Tigers' ten hits.
Hampden-Sydney will hit the road this Saturday, April 13 and face Washington & Lee in a double header in Lexington. First pitch is set for 12:00 pm.
