LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Bridgewater College baseball team knocked off No. 4 Lynchburg, the top-seeded team, 7-6, in the first game of the best-of-three ODAC Quarterfinals series on Saturday afternoon.

Final Score: Bridgewater 7, Lynchburg 6
Records: Bridgewater 17-24; No. 4 Lynchburg 33-6

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Lynchburg hopped on the board first as Avery Neaves stepped to the plate with one man aboard and delivered with a two-run shot to put the home team up by a pair in the bottom of the first. Bridgewater responded by loading the bases in the top of the second on a pair of walks and an error. Nick Stavros stepped to the plate next and drew a walk to push Lucas Bauer across and keep the bases jammed. Jonathan Sexton stepped in next and grounded into a double play, but pushed Isaac Sumpter across. Jarret Biesecker gave BC the lead with his second single in as many trips bringing Jeffrey Snider across.

• The Hornets replied with a run of their own in the bottom of the second. The Hornets loaded the bases and pushed a run across on a sacrifice fly to tie the game. Lynchburg took the lead back in the third thanks to a two-run single to take a 5-3 advantage.

• Bridgewater loaded the bases in the fifth after a pair of infield singles and a walk. Hunter Clever knotted the game up in one swing as he delivered with a two-run single to drive in Brett Tharp and Biesecker.

• The visitors had a chance with the bases loaded in the sixth, but Bowe Rogers induced a fly out to keep the game tied. Lynchburg kept starter Zach Potts in the game in the seventh and Tharp ended his day as the fifth-year senior tripled, but he was left stranded. The Eagles kept the momentum rolling in the eighth as BC loaded the bases and Camden Herron pinch hit for Stavros. The local product delivered for the visitors with a single to the right side bringing Clever around and giving the Eagles the lead. The Bridgewater offense tagged on another run in the next at bat as Sexton lifted a fly ball just deep enough for Sumpter to tag and push the advantage to 7-5

• The No. 4 team in the country got one back in the eighth after BC decided to go with Tharp on the mound. After a RBI double Tharp recovered to send the game to the ninth with the lead intact.

• BC went down in order in the top of the ninth and turned the attention to holding on to the advantage in the bottom half of the frame. The Hornets led the frame off with a double up the middle, but the runner in scoring position quickly evaporated due to an interference call giving Bridgewater an out and a Lynchburg runner on first. Tharp induced a groundout and a fly out to strand the runner and give Bridgewater the victory.

GAME STATS
• Herron made his presence felt as he drove in the go-ahead run in his only at bat of the game.

• Biesecker, Tharp and Clever each tallied multiple hits in the win.

• Rogers picked up the win on the hill for his fourth of the season after tossing 1.1 scoreless frames. Tharp tallied a 2.0 inning save to extend his career saves record.

• The Hornets loss today was their first loss at home all season. The No. 4 team in the country had only one loss in ODAC play to an unranked opponent on the year coming at the hands of Roanoke.

• The Eagles victory is their second over a ranked opponent this season with the first being over Christopher Newport back in early March.

UP NEXT
The same two sides will square off tomorrow with a place in the ODAC Championship Weekend at stake. The first game starts at noon with a deciding game three at 3 p.m. if needed.

— BC Athletics —