HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. (EMU Athletics) – On a warm Saturday, the EMU Diamond Royals took their show on the road for an ODAC doubleheader at Hampden-Sydney College. EMU built an early lead and held on to it for an 11-10 game one win. However, game two did not go the Royals’ way as the host Tigers scored early and often to hand EMU a 12-1 defeat.

Records: EMU 9-15, 4-9 ODAC | Hampden-Sydney 13-15, 7-8 ODAC

Game One: EMU 11, Hampden-Sydney 10
WP: Josh Gjormand (3-1)
LP: Noah Lewis (2-1)
S: Andrew Ritterskamp (2)

Highlights
• All was quiet in the first two innings, with both starting pitchers Gjormand and Lewis getting off to hot starts.
• The Royals broke up the stalemate in a big way in the top of the third inning. Dylan Hall sparked the EMU bats with a solo home run to left field.
• But that was only the beginning for the Royals in the third. Two batters later, Nick Arnold doubled down the left field, bringing in Noah Sanderson. Erik Wilkinson kept the rally going with an infield single that allowed Arnold to reach home. Dalton Rocke then blasted a 2-RBI triple to center field, plating both Wilkinson and Daniel McGinnis. Rocke capped the big frame for the Royals by reaching home on a wild pitch, putting the Royals up 6-0.
• Hampden-Sydney got three of those runs in the bottom of the fourth, but EMU still enjoyed a 6-3 cushion through four innings of play.
• Noah Sanderson tacked on a run for the Royals in the fifth, reaching on an infield single and opening the door for Jett Cabanban to touch home. That made the score EMU 7, Hampden-Sydney 3.
• Hall made his presence felt on the scoreboard once again in the top of the seventh, singling to center field to bring in Cabanaban and put the Royals 8-3. Hampden-Sydney countered with two runs in the bottom of the frame to make the score Royals 8, Tigers 5 after seven.
• The Royals’ bats continued to roar in the eighth inning to the tune of two more runs. First, EMU took advantage of a throwing error by Hampden-Sydney’s catcher to bring in Wilkinson, followed by a Garrett Nyce base hit that brought McGinnis home. The Tigers got one of those runs back in the bottom half, and the two teams headed to the ninth with the score EMU 10, Hampden-Sydney 6.
• EMU padded their lead a bit in the top of the ninth with a run scored off of a Wilkinson single to left field, allowing Arnold to touch home.
• The Tigers rallied in the bottom of the ninth, edging closer and closer to the Royals. With the bases loaded, two outs, and the tying run on third base, Ritterskamp faced off against Christian Chambers. With the game on the line, Ritterskamp sat Chambers down on strikes to clinch the game one victory for the Royals.

Statistical Leaders
Wilkinson: 5-for-6, 3B, 2 runs, 2 RBIs
Hall: 2-for-5, HR, run, 2 RBIs
Sanderson: 3-for-5, run, RBI
J. Gjormand: 6.0 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, 6 Ks

Game Two: Hampden-Sydney 12, EMU 1
WP: Gavin Gregory (2-2)
LP: Dylan McClellan (2-1)

Highlights
• Unlike the first game, it was the Tigers who jumped out front early, scoring four runs in the first, followed by five runs in the second, and two more in the third. That gave Hampden-Sydney a 11-0 lead through three innings.
• The Royals avoided the shutout by plating run in the top of the fifth. Trevor Selph doubled down the left field line to bring home the game one winning pitcher Gjormand, who played left field in the second game. However, Hampden-Sydney got that run right back in the bottom of the fifth, and the Tigers took a 12-1 lead to the sixth inning.
• Neither team scored again the rest of the way, the ODAC’s 10-run rule came into play to end the game after seven innings.

Statistical Leaders
Selph: 1-for-2, 2B, RBI
J. Gjormand: 1-for-3, run

What’s Next
The Diamond Royals will resume ODAC play on Tuesday, April 8 when they play host to Washington & Lee. First pitch at Royals Field is scheduled for 4 p.m.

— EMU Athletics —