Final Four Teams Ready to Square Off for ODAC Title at City Stadium

May 06, 2018

FOREST, Va. --- Just two games were needed in all four best-of-three series to determine the final four squads in the ODAC Baseball Tournament's new format. Randolph-Macon College, Virginia Wesleyan University, Roanoke College, and Shenandoah University will head to City Stadium in Lynchburg, Va., for three days of double-elimination play for the right to hoist the league hardware on May 11-13.

The tournament field was going to be reset following this weekend's outings, but the top four seeds proved that chore moot in sweeping the four series.

RELATED: 2018 Tournament Schedule/Results

Top-seeded Randolph-Macon scored 17 runs in both contests to eliminate #8 Bridgewater College. The Yellow Jackets put up six runs in the first inning of game one and staved off a charge from the Eagles for a 17-7 win. Colin Selby had the strikeout ball working with 12 punchouts of 17 outs recorded, but he also gave up a pair of homers to Brett Jones an Kevin Navedo in his 5.2 frames. R-MC countered with four round-trippers from Jeff Butler, Joseph Tuzzolo, Reece Yeargain and Grant Huckestein. Huckstein drove in four runs while Butler and Tuzzolo registered three RBI each.

Bridgewater jumped on the board early in game two with a three-spot in the opening frame. But four runs in the second and six more in the fourth broke it open for Randolph-Macon on the way to a 17-3 series-clinching victory. Nick Roth went seven strong for the win, giving up three runs on eight hits with a walk and eight strikeouts. Michael Nickles and Zach Evans went deep for R-MC, while Nickles drove in a game-best four runs. Ryan Duphorn and Cole Migliorini brought in three each.

RELATED: R-MC vs. BC Game 1 | R-MC vs. BC Game 2

R-MC's opponent in Lynchburg will be Shenandoah University. The Hornets defeated Hampden-Sydney College in game one on Saturday, 15-4, and then again on Sunday, 6-4, in a series that was forced to alter its schedule due to community events. SU led 5-2 after three and flipped the scoreboard five times in both the sixth and eighth innings in the big win. Colin Morse worked 8.0 innings for hte victory. He gave up two runs (one earned) on three hits and worked around an uncharacteristic six walks with eight strikeouts. Luke Nussman homered twice and drove in four runs, while Henry Delavergne belted a grand slam to account for his four RBI. Chase Smallwood went 4-for-5 with three RBI.

Shenandoah jumped out early in game two with three runs by the third inning powered by a two-run shot by Keegan Woolford. SU tacked on one run each in the fifth, sixth, and eighth innings, but had to hold on as H-SC mounted a comeback. The Tigers got one back in the fourth and the seventh before making SU fans nervous with two in the ninth. H-SC had bases loaded with nobody out before Micheal Bugonowicz relieved for SU. He induced Moe Gothe into a shortstop-unassisted double play, surrendering one run for two outs. Andrew Kasiski kept play alive for the Tigers with a RBI single and Chase Counts singled to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. Bugonowicz got Devin Daugherty swinging to end both the threat and the ball game.

RELATED: SU vs. H-SC Game 1 | SU vs. H-SC Game 2

Virginia Wesleyan allowed just two runs in its two outings with Guilford College, riding a pair of strong performances from Marlins starting pitching. Jacob Pilarski went the distance in for VWU in game one, giving up one unearned run while scattering eight hits. He walked two and fanned six on the way to a 9-1 victory. Zach Clark and Dylan Gentry both had two hits for the Marlins, while Brady Fallon hit a solo shot in the fifth. Mitchell Stumpo had two hits for Guilford, while Trevor Denton drove in the Quakers lone run.

Chance Pauley, Andrew Lowe, and Glen Pizzanello kept Guilford off the scoreboard until the ninth inning in the Marlins 4-1 clinching win in game two. Pauley tossed 6.2 scorelss frames. He surrendered six hits and walked one with three strikeouts. Lowe fanned the lone batter he faced, while Pizzanello worked the final two innings and gave up one run on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Denton was nearly as good for Guilford, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts.

RELATED: VWU vs. GC Game 1 | VWU vs. GC Game 2

Roanoke will face the Marlins at City Stadium following two games of 10 runs scored against Lynchburg College. Everything clicked for RC in game one as Fletcher Mazzola and Ethan Delahunty combined to allow just one run to LC in the Maroons 10-1 victory. Mazzola gave up that run on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts in five innings. Delahunty picked up the four-inning save with just one hit and one walk allowed to go with a strikeout. Cody Shell led the RC offense with five RBI. He had a two-run single in RC's four-run fourth inning, and drove in three with a double as the Maroons posted five runs in the fifth.

Five pitchers combined to hold Lynchburg to four runs in a 10-4 Maroons victory. Ben West got the start and went the first three frames. He gave up a run on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Pat Burke earned the victory with two shutout innings. Cam Eck was touched up four three runs in 1.1 innings, but Kevin Ledford and Sal Trancucci shut the door the final 2.2 innings. Five batters registered two hits each for RC, while Shell drove in two more runs and Gavin Kandrick hit a solo shot.

RELATED: RC vs. LC Game 1 | RC vs. LC Game 2

Play in Lynchburg is slated to begin on Friday, May 11. Randolph-Macon and Shenandoah will square off at 4:00 p.m. followed by Virginia Wesleyan versus Roanoke at 7:30 p.m. Three games will be played on Saturday to get down to the final two squads on Sunday. One of those teams will have two chances to win the title as it will not have lost yet in the double-elimination format.

For more information, visit the websites of the participating schools, or go the ODAC Baseball Tournament website. Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.