DEMOREST, Georgia - The University of Lynchburg, ranked No. 16 in the D3Baseball.com Preseason Poll, scored three runs in the first inning and held the lead throughout a 7-2 victory over the Wilmington College baseball team on Thursday afternoon.
The game, which was delayed three hours due to weather, was game No. 1 of the Piedmont Early Spring Tournament hosted at Loudermilk Field on the campus of Piedmont University.
The Hornets, who finished 36-12 a season ago, jumped on Quaker starter Aaron Boster to the tune of three runs on two hits in the bottom of the first inning. Wilmington, which had a single baserunner in each of the first three innings, got runners to second and third with two outs in the fourth, but a lineout to center field stranded both runners.
Lynchburg (Virginia) opened the fourth with three consecutive hits to score a run, but Boster got out of the bases-loaded jam by inducing a flyout to left field. After two scoreless innings, the Hornets added three more runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a commanding 7-0 advantage.
The Quakers did plate two in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly that scored both Tyler Shaneyfelt and Evan Kelsey. Earlier in the inning, Shaneyfelt stole two bases, breaking a tie with Antonio Miller for the program's career mark in stolen bases.
Boster took the loss, allowing four earned runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings with four strikeouts. Luke Chappie and Caleb Fugate finished the final 3.1 innings for WC with Fugate pitching two innings of scoreless baseball. Zack Potts earned the win for Lynchburg, striking out six in six innings and allowing four hits and a walk.
Ryan Long and Holden Fiedler both had multi-hit games for the Hornets while Riley O'Donovan went 1-for-3 with three RBIs. Avery Neaves went 0-for-1, but drew four walks and scored two runs. Six different Quakers hit singles with Scott driving in the run. Shaneyfelt and Kelsey combined for three steals.
Wilmington (0-1) will take on La Verne University (California) at noon tomorrow (Saturday).
