HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA-The Hampden-Sydney baseball team fell in two games in a Saturday double header to Eastern Mennonite, but senior Jeff Gray (Newport News, VA/Menchville) recorded two hits, making him Hampden-Sydney's all-time hits leader with 181 career knocks. Hampden-Sydney fell 10-3 and 9-3, dropping to 5-16-1 on the season and 3-6 in ODAC play; the Royals improve their record to 10-9 overall and 4-5 in the ODAC.

In the first game, Reggie Johnson (Dunnsville, VA/Essex) and Kyle Armstrong were nearly untouchable through the first two innings, but the batters began to find their groove in the third frame.

Eastern Mennonite started off the scoring with three runs on four hits, but the Tigers fired right back in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game. Moe Gothe (Chester, VA/Thomas Dale) batted in Christian Hamlett (Midlothian, VA/Cosby) to kick off the action; then Dustin Wiles (Belmont, NC/South Point) drove in Gothe and Jackson Rogers (Sterling, VA/Potomac Falls) to knot the game at 3-3.

The Royals put together another scoring inning in the fourth to reclaim the lead, driving in two more.

In the seventh, Eastern Mennonite used three hits and two errors to score three and extend the lead to 8-3.

After two scoreless from Matthew Metheny (New Kent, VA/New Kent), the Royals added two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth.

The Royals tallied 16 hits to Hampden-Sydney's eight. Dustin Wiles and Jack Elliott (Pittsburgh, PA/Upper St. Clair) led the way with two hits a piece.

On the mound, Johnson went 5.2 innings, allowing eight runs – five earned – on 11 hits with two strikeouts. Metheny allowed two runs – one earned – on five hits with a strikeout in 2.1 innings. Josh Blair (Virginia Beach, VA/Princess Anne) pitched the ninth, striking out two.

In game two, it was another scoreless two inning start, but this time it was the Tigers who struck first in the third, using three straight singles to set up a Spencer Wiles (Belmont, NC/South Point) sacrifice fly that drove in Rogers.

Billy Nixon (Sedley, VA/Southampton) was able to hold the Royals scoreless through the first four, but the visitors knocked in seven runs on four hits and an error in the top of the fifth to take a 7-1 lead.

The Royals knocked in two more in the sixth, but the Tigers responded this time, with Gray and Lee Carneal (Charlottesville, VA/Albemarle) crossing the plate in the bottom half of the frame.

Pitching controlled the rest of the game with each team behind held scoreless. Dylan Gonzales (Richmond, VA/Bridgewater) went three scoreless, allowing one hit with two strikeouts. Nixon was the pitcher of decision, allowing seven runs – five earned – on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

The Tigers tallied 13 hits with John Lloyd (Glen Allen, VA/Deep Run) and Hamlett each recording three.

Hampden-Sydney returns to action tomorrow, Sunday, March 29 as the Tigers host Emory & Henry in a double header. First pitch is set for 12:00 PM.