HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. – Junior captain Ryan Boyce (Suffolk) had three hits and seven RBIs, including a grand slam home run in game one, adding two hits and three RBIs in game two, to lead Hampden-Sydney College to a season-opening and non-conference baseball doubleheader sweep past Moravian (PA) University on Saturday on Yank Bernier Field at the Ty Cobb Ballpark – Wurdeman Stadium. Freshman Dylan Robbins (Mechanicsville) gained the pitching win, and senior Kieran Conway (Chesapeake) earned the save in the 12-11 opener against the visiting Greyhounds (0-2), while freshman Christian Chambers (Midlothian) hit a three-run home run in the 11-7 nightcap that witnessed freshman Lance Tate (Stanardsville) earn the mound win for the host Tigers (2-0).

In game one, H-SC scored 12 runs on seven hits with two errors … scoring one run in the first inning, two runs in the second, four runs in the third, two runs in the fifth and three runs in the sixth. MU scored 11 runs on 17 hits with six errors … scoring one run in the third inning, three runs in the fourth, three runs in the fifth and four runs in the sixth.

Highlights included the grand slam in the third inning by Boyce (1-3, 4 RBIs), his first collegiate home run, that gave H-SC a 7-1 lead after three innings—the bases-clearing blast scoring senior captain Max Lipscomb (Virginia Beach) (0-2), freshman Matthew Arnold (Danville) (0-3, RBI) and senior captain Trey Karnes (Mechanicsville) (0-2). After MU tied the game at 7-7 in the fifth, senior Mark Evans (Yorktown) (0-2, RBI) and Chambers (1-2) each scored in the bottom of the fifth courtesy of a throwing error for a 9-7 advantage. The Greyhounds went back ahead 11-9 in the sixth, but the Tigers came right back in the bottom of the sixth … getting a bases-loaded walk from Evans to plate Karnes, before Boyce and sophomore Trent Jones (Virginia Beach) (0-0) crossed home plate on a fielding error to provide for the final margin.

Senior Nic Graziano (Virginia Beach) started and pitched the first 4.0 innings, scattering eight hits and four runs, one earned, with three strikeouts and one walk. Dobbins (1-0) got the win with 1.0 scoreless inning, yielding no hits with one strikeout and no walks, while Conway (1) took the save with a strikeout of the only batter he faced.

In game two, H-SC scored 11 runs on 10 hits with three errors … scoring four runs in the first inning, five runs in the second and two runs in the third. MU scored seven runs on eight hits with two errors … scoring one run in the first inning, two runs in the fifth and four runs in the sixth before darkness forced the game to be declared final.

Highlights included the three-run home run in the first inning by Chambers (1-3, 3 RBIs), his first collegiate home run, that gave H-SC a 4-1 lead after one inning—the bases-clearing blast scoring Boyce (2-3, 3 RBIs) and Karnes (0-3). Boyce added an RBI single in the second that plated freshman Jaxson Masterson (Raleigh, NC) (1-2), and another in the third that scored senior Ethan Badin (Richmond) (1-1, RBI), who added a run-scoring double in the inning. Sophomore Tillman Butler (Culpeper) (1-2, 2 RBIs) contributed a two-run single in the second, scoring Lipscomb (0-1, RBI) and Boyce.

Tate (1-0) started and pitched the first 4.0 innings, scattering five hits and one run, earned, with five strikeouts and no walks.

H-SC and MU will play the three-game weekend series finale on Sunday, February 20, at 12 p.m. at Wurdeman Stadium—the start time moved up one hour from the originally-scheduled (1 p.m.) time.