Yellow Jackets to Meet Huntingdon on Thursday
MILLINGTON, Tenn. --- Fifth-seeded Randolph-Macon saw second-seeded Salisbury score three unearned runs in the bottom of the ninth to pull out a 3-2 win in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament South Regional at USA Stadium.
The Yellow Jackets (23-18-1) will face top-seeded Huntingdon in an elimination game on Thursday at 1 p.m. ET.
R-MC starting pitcher Matt Fischgrund was outstanding, departing after surrendering a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth with the Jackets holding a 2-0 lead. He allowed four hits and two walks with six strikeouts in eight innings, his longest outing of the season.
Will Jennings (1-1) came in from the pen and gave up a base hit to left to put a pair on for the Seagulls (31-7), ranked No. 4 in the nation. A sacrifice bunt was thrown away down the right field line, allowing both runners to score and moving the potential winning run to second. Jennings struck out the next two hitters before an infield hit put runners on the corners. Leadoff hitter Kyle Hayman hit a grounder to first and was called safe on a close play at first as the winning run crossed the plate.
R-MC lit the scoreboard in the top of the first. After freshman DH Mitchell Keeler (Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) was robbed on a diving catch by centerfielder Bill Root, senior second baseman Jake Fletcher (Deltaville, Va./Middlesex) and senior outfielder Jeb Weymouth (Rockville, Va./Hanover) drew consecutive walks. After a wild pitch moved both into scoring position, freshman outfielder Michael Trentham (Midlothian, Va./James River) drew a base on balls to load the bases. Sophomore catcher Tim Benjamin (Glenelg, Md./Glenelg) grounded out to first to plate Fletcher with the first run. Freshman shortstop Travis Lodge (Chesterfield, Va./Matoaca) walked to reload the bases, but the Jackets left the bases loaded with a 1-0 lead.
The Jackets added to their lead in the fifth. Keeler and Fletcher had consecutive singles with one away before Weymouth was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Trentham grounded out to short to bring in Keeler and give R-MC a 2-0 advantage.
R-MC finished with three hits and stranded seven.
--- This release is courtesy of the Randolph-Macon College sports information department. ---
www.rmcathletics.com