YORK, Pa. --- The Virginia Wesleyan University baseball team finished out is year Sunday afternoon, defeating No. 2 Rowan University before being eliminated by Misericordia University. The squad knocked out the Owls 9-6 in game one of the day before falling to the Cougars 14-4. With the results, the Marlins cap their season with a record of 31-16, finishing with a program record three wins in the NCAA Division III Championship.

GAME 1: VWU - 9 ROWAN - 6

The Marlins came right out of the gate in their second-straight elimination game as Randy Neisz sent a ball over the fence in the opening frame giving them a 1-0 lead. After a scoreless second, VWU added to its lead as it tacked on two more. Corey King picked up an RBI on a groundout that plated Deon Hammond and a Jacob Pilarskisingle knocked in Brandon Kussmaul. The Owls would put one up in the bottom of the frame but a Jordan Sprouse RBI single in the fourth negated that.

With a 4-1 lead, the Marlin bats exploded in the sixth, putting up five more. Austin Obenour got the ball rolling with a solo shot to start the frame. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, King drove home two with a single up the middle. Neisz followed that with a double down the right field line to put the Marlins ahead by eight runs. Rowan fought in the ninth, but the Marlin defense shut them down to advance to the next game.

In just his second start of the year, Andrew Lowe dealt as he went 7.1 innings, serving up four punch outs. Glen Pizzanello would close out the final 1.2 innings.

GAME 2: MISERICORDIA - 14 VWU - 4

The Cougars jumped out to an early lead, going up 4-0 after two and half innings of play. The Marlins would get one back in the bottom of the third on a King single that scored Hammond. The big bats would then help Virginia Wesleyan tie it up in the fourth. After Pilarski got on by a fielding error to lead off the side, Zack Clark knocked a ball over the left field fence to bring VWU within one. In the next at-bat Brady Fallon got ahold of one, sending a solo homer to left field as well.

The standstill did not last long though as the Cougars piled in five runs in the following frame. The Marlins were unable to put a halt to the Misericordia offense, eventually bowing out of the tournament.

Nick Bay went the first four innings for the Marlins and was saddled with the loss. Doug Avery then came in for a frame before Adam Brooks took over for the final 4.0.

--- This release is courtesy of the Virginia Wesleyan University sports information department. ---
www.vwuathletics.com