SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – Shepherd downed West Virginia Wesleyan in twinball on Tuesday, the Rams won game one 5-2, and rallied to take game two by a 16-13 margin.
In game one, the Rams scored a run in the bottom of the first on an error. Corey Flickinger knotted the game at 1-1 with a home run to left in the third. Shepherd got back-to-back RBI singles in the bottom of the inning to go back in front 3-1. Mark Darlington trimmed the lead to 3-2 with a solo homer in the fourth. The Rams pushed the lead to 5-2 with a sacrifice fly and RBI single in the sixth.
Aaron Adams (2-2) was saddled with the loss, working six innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on 11 hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
In game two, Shepherd scored five runs in the first, with the big blow being a grand slam, to take a 5-0 lead. J.R. Tenney got the Bobcats on the board in the second with a single, Tom Brunswick followed with a two-RBI single and Flickinger belted his second homer of the day—a three-run shot to give Wesleyan a 6-5 lead. Gene Franks kept the inning going with an RBI double and Matt Edwards got an RBI with a fielder's choice. WVWC got one more in the inning on an error to lead 9-5.
The Rams cut the deficit to 9-6 with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning. Darlington launched a three-run blast in the third to push the Bobcat advantage to 12-6. Shepherd plated two in the bottom of the third and one in the fourth to trim the margin to 12-9. Franks' second RBI of the game made it 13-9.
SU used an RBI double, three-run home run and two-RBI single to retake the lead 15-13 in the fifth and would add an insurance run in the sixth on a double. Franks picked up his third RBI of the game with a single to cut the advantage to 16-14, but it wasn't enough as Shepherd came away with the win.
Warren Hammel started the game; he tossed two innings, allowing six runs on five hits with four walks. Andrew Ornes hurled the next 1.2 innings, giving up three runs on three hits with two walks. Nick Benges (1-1) took the loss, pitching one inning, allowing five runs on three hits while striking out one and walking one. Chris Stein worked the final 1.1 innings, surrendering two runs on five hits while punching out three.
The Bobcats return to the friendly confines of Ellis Field for their home opener against Concord on Saturday. The first pitch in the doubleheader is set for 1 p.m.
