Yellow Jackets Headed to NCAA Tournament with ODAC's Automatic Bid

LYNCHBURG, Va. --- For the second time in four years, Randolph-Macon Baseball captured the ODAC Championship with a 6-2 win over Bridgewater College Saturday afternoon in Lynchburg. Jordan Walton was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player and tied the NCAA single season doubles record with his 27th double.

James Bierlein started on the bump for the Yellow Jackets and allowed two runs on six hits while striking out five to pick up the win. All-Tournament team selection Dale Langford retired all three batters he faced in the ninth to secure the title.

Walton finished Saturday's contest 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Greg Mitro joined Walton on the All-Tournament team and went 3-for-5 in the championship game with two RBI.

Joseph Lucas is stuck with the loss for Bridgewater after allowing four earned runs on seven hits and striking out two over seven and two thirds innings. Tyler Slanovec and Kevin Chandler gave up a run each in the final inning and a third.

Jake Wade finished 1-for-2 with an RBI at the dish to pace the Eagles offensively. Bridgewater totaled six hits for the game, all of them singles.

BC jumped ahead in the fourth when Kevin Kirk led off the inning with a single, stole second and then scored on an Andrew Hacker groundout.

R-MC tied it up in the top of the seventh after Walton led off with a single then advanced to third on a Mitro double before scoring on a Jay Lichter groundout.

Bridgewater re-tied the game in the bottom of the seventh when Jay Thompson scored on a Wade RBI single.

Randolph-Macon rallied for three runs in the eighth, two coming on a Mitro single to left after Weymouth gave the Yellow Jackets the lead with a sacrifice fly.

A Peter Culver run scoring sacrifice fly and an RBI single from Walton stretched the R-MC lead to 6-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth.

Langford came on to pitch for the Yellow Jackets in the ninth and retired all three batters he faced to secure the 2011 ODAC Baseball Championship.

2011 ODAC BASEBALL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Most Outstanding Player: Jordan Walton R-MC
P: Dale Langford R-MC
P: Joesph Lucas BC
C: Devon Snow BC
1B: Jordan Walton R-MC
2B: Greg Mitro R-MC
SS: Alex Nuttycombe, BC
3B: Hunter Lewis, H-SC
OF: Brian Bialecki GC
OF: Mike Walters LC
OF: Jonathan Mason BC
DH: Cory Jackson R-MC

This release is courtesy of the Randolph-Macon College sports information department.