Top-Seeded SU Tops W&L, 6-3, in Game Five of ODAC Baseball Tournament

LYNCHBURG, Va. --- Top-seeded Shenandoah University won its second consecutive game of the 2014 ODAC Baseball Tournament with a 6-3 win over fourth-seeded Washington and Lee University on Friday evening at Lynchburg City Stadium.

Shenandoah (30-7) reaches the 30-win mark for the fifth time in the past six years with the victory. The Generals (18-13) are eliminated from the tournament with the loss.

SU now advances to a 12:00pm Saturday game against the winner of No. 3 Bridgewater vs No. 5 Lynchburg. Those two teams are playing a 9:30pm contest Friday night.

The BC/LC start is late because the SU/W&L game was delayed by four hours due to a rainstorm that came through central Virginia.

Senior Vince Claudio (7-1) threw the first pitch for the Hornets at 6:31, a delay of 4:01 off of the original start time.

Shenandoah scored one run in the first, added single runs in the fourth and fifth, two in the seventh and one in the eighth to lead 6-1 heading into the ninth.

Claudio, who was cruising at this point, allowed a walk and a single to start the frame, causing Hornets skipper Kevin Anderson to turn to his bullpen.

Garrett Wooddell got the first out, on a flyout, before Anderson called on junior closer Matt Riegler to get the final two outs.

The lefty delivered, punching out the first two hitters he faced to earn his third save of the spring.

Junior Michael Paul, who was named as the ODAC Player of the Year earlier in the day, did most of the damage for the SU offense with a 4 for 4 evening that included three doubles and three runs scored.

Paul scored three of his squad's first four runs.

Claudio allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks to earn the victory. He also struck out seven, including the final hitter in four of his first six innings.

Billy Arens backed up Paul with two hits and one RBI in four at-bats.

--This release is courtesy of the Shenandoah University sports information department.--