BRIDGEWATER, Va. — The Bridgewater College baseball team took down the Generals of Washington and Lee 14-9 on Wednesday evening in ODAC action

Final Score: Bridgewater 14, Washington and Lee 9
Records: Bridgewater 15-23, 8-12 ODAC; Washington and Lee 15-15, 9-11 ODAC

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Washington and Lee got on the board first in their first offensive opportunity. The top of the first saw the first two batters reach for the Generals on a hit by pitch and a walk and a sacrifice bunt moved it to two Generals in scoring position. A groundout to Isaac Sumpter at short got BC the second out but allowed WLU to draw first blood ahead 1-0.

• The Eagles responded by loading the bases before the Generals could record an out. Hunter Clever’s patience during the next plate appearance earned him a walk to bring Jarret Biesecker in to knot the game. Lucas Bauer stepped in and delivered with a single driving Brett Tharp in to give Bridgewater its first lead of the contest. Back-to-back fielder’s choices gave the Generals much needed outs but allowed Brandan Hartman and Clever to score pushing it to 4-1.

• WLU cut the gap with two runs in the top of the second, but BC added three runs of its own to stretch the gap. Tharp doubled to the wall in right-center allowing Biesecker to come around all the way from first after an infield single put the fifth-year aboard. Tharp was pushed around to third thanks to a Hartman hit by pitch and a wild pitch before a sacrifice fly from Clever drove him in. Bauer followed with a single the opposite way to bring Hartman home and make it a 7-3 ballgame.

• Just when Bridgewater had the momentum. Washington and Lee responded with a six-run top of the third. A bases-loaded walk drove the first run of the inning with just one away, but the real momentum shifter was a bases-clearing triple by Mitchell Salvino to tie the game. A pair of singles allowed for the visiting side to take and add to its lead, making the contest 9-7.

• Coach Ben Spotts elected to go to Bowe Rogers and the senior ended the long inning on the first hitter he faced thanks to a nifty play by Clever over at first base. Rogers shut down the Generals and allowed just one base runner over his first 2.1 innings of work thanks to effective work on the mound and great defensive plays by Sumpter and Clever.

• Bridgewater swung the momentum back in its favor in the bottom of the fifth as a pair of walks and a hit by pitch loaded the bases. Sumpter delivered once again with a fly ball just deep enough to allow Tharp to tag and score to make it a one-run game. Jeffrey Snider stepped in next and grinded out and at bat. At a full count the senior turned on a ball that was a no-doubt three-run homerun to give Bridgewater the lead back at 11-9.

• Spotts made the decision to go to his closer Tharp in the top of the sixth with two down and it did not disappoint. The all-time saves leader in program history went to work and did not allow a baserunner until the top of the eighth after he had received extra run support from a Jonathan Sexton two-run double the previous inning. The Generals left runners stranded in the eighth and ninth as the Eagles held on for the win.

GAME FACTS
• Biesecker and the Eagles offense had a tremendous day at the plate. All but one BC starter registered a base hit and Biesecker turned in a 4-for-6 effort with a stolen base.

• Snider’s go-ahead homerun moved his RBI total to four on the day while Sumpter, Sexton and Bauer each had a pair and Clever added three runs driven in himself.

• Rogers registered his second win of the season after hurling 3.0 innings of work and allowing just one hit over 11 batters faced.

• Tharp picked up save number seven on the season with 3.1 innings of work along with three strikeouts.

• Hartman moved his on base streak to 36 games in the win.

UP NEXT
The Eagles close out the regular season on Sunday as they host Hampden-Sydney for a pair of games on Senior day beginning at noon.

— BC Athletics —