Hornets Lock Up Fourth ODAC Baseball Title

HIGH POINT, N.C. --- Shenandoah University's success in the ODAC Baseball Tournament since becoming a member of the ODAC in 2012-13 continued on Sunday afternoon as the Hornets capped an unbeaten weekend at Truist Point ballpark with a 13-0 victory over Roanoke College to secure the 2022 conference championship.

Shenandoah (34-10-1) has now won four ODAC baseball trophies with three coming since 2018. The win on Sunday in High Point, N.C., also brings with it the conference's automatic entry into the NCAA Division III Tournament. That field will be announced on Monday at noon ET via selection show on NCAA.com.

For the second time in the tournament, Hornets righty Reilly Owen tossed a gem as he needed just 101 pitches to post a complete-game shutout over the Maroons (26-16). He previously worked 7.0 scoreless innings in the tourney's opening weekend against Hampden-Sydney College.

Owen (5-4) was buoyed by a Shenandoah offense that scored 13 runs on 14 hits in 33 team at-bats for a .424 batting average. That was the second-best offensive output of the weekend following Roanoke's 15 runs on 24 hits in 51 team at-bats for a .471 average.

Tournament Most Outstanding Player, SU second baseman Kyle Lisa, bashed one of two three-run homers for Shenandoah to give him a tournament-high eight RBI over the two weekends. Gavin Horning hammered the other three-run bomb which, when combined with Lisa's blast, accounted for the bulk for Shenandoah's 10-0 lead through four innings.

Roanoke scattered eight hits and put 10 runners on base against Owen, but could not bunch any hits together. Three times the Maroons saw two runners reach in the same inning, but Owen benefitted from a pair of double plays and additional strong defense to shut down those potential threats. Roanoke's best opportunity to score came in the sixth inning when Conner Butler led off with a double to left-center. He advanced to third on a fly out to right by Owen Lawn. But a walk to Jonny Wall preceded a 4-6-3 double play on a grounder to second by PK Cocolis to end the inning.

Frankie Ritter and Horning registered three hits apiece to lead five Hornets batters with multiple knocks. Horning drove in a game-best four runs, while Lisa plated three. Ritter and catcher Matt Moon scored three runs each.

Owen's line featured eight hits and two walks surrendered over his nine frames to mark his first complete game of the season. He fanned four batters in improving to 5-4. Brandon Hill (1-3) started and took the loss for Roanoke. He was one of seven pitchers to take the hill for the Maroons.

ODAC BASEBALL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

  • P: Zack Potts, Lynchburg
  • P: Caleb Lingenfelter, Roanoke
  • P: Reilly Owen, Shenandoah
  • C: Matt Moon, Shenandoah
  • IF: Jonny Wall, Roanoke
  • IF: Pearce Bucher, Shenandoah
  • IF: Ryan Clawson, Shenandoah
  • IF: Frankie Ritter, Shenandoah
  • OF: Jarret Biesecker, Bridgewater
  • OF: Avery Neaves, Lynchburg
  • OF: Jeb Byerly, Roanoke
  • OF: Henry Delavergne, Shenandoah
  • DH: Gavin Horning, Shenandoah
  • UT: PK Cocolis, Roanoke
  • MOP: Kyle Lisa, Shenandoah