BUENA VISTA, Va. – In a midweek break from USA South play, the Southern Virginia University Baseball team (12-19, 4-11) took on the Newport News Apprentice School (24-13, 1-3) on a windy Tuesday afternoon.

The Builders looked primed to earn the game's first run after back-to-back singles to open the contest. Following a pop-up for the first out, Caleb Russell was walked, loading the bases. Pitcher Stockton Hall did well to force a 5-2-3 double play to get out of the inning unharmed.

The Knights scored a frenzy of runs in their portion of the opening inning, opened up by a two-run homer by Will Parker. After Nick Daynes and Ryan Farris got on base, Mitch Smith tallied the team's second home run of the inning with a bomb through center field, making the score 5-0.

Apprentice didn't take long to cut into the deficit, registering a run in the top of the second. Hall again helped his team get out of the inning with the bases loaded, forcing a fly out to center field.

Southern Virginia's scoring terror would continue in the bottom of the inning, adding five more runs and two more home runs to increase the lead to nine, 10-1. Farris was the first to hit it out of the park, bringing in Marcelino Leonardo Jr., and then Smith tallied his second homer of the afternoon, sending a laser down the left-field line for the final run of the inning.

The Builders would again bounce back quickly, recording three runs in the next inning. The scoring opened with Matt Phoebus sneaking the ball through the middle of the infield, sending Hunter Johnson home. The next batter, Jeremy Harmon, tallied the game's fifth home run to cut the deficit to six, 10-4.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Knights would increase the advantage, adding another five runs—its third five-run inning of the contest. Daynes led off with a single up the middle and would be brought in by a Farris single to center field. Smith would continue his excellent performance, tallying another hit, this time a single to get on base, and then Jake Watson joined him to load the bases. Sophomore Luke Roberts stepped up to the plate and smacked the ball over the wall for a grand slam and his first career home run. The homer would make the score 15-4.

Parker would add another home run in the bottom of the fifth for his second of the game—his second time this year with multiple homers in a single game.

Apprentice would add a run in the top of the sixth to make the score 16-5. After holding Southern Virginia scoreless in the bottom of the sixth, the visitors looked to make a surge, but the new pitcher, Carson Bybee, had other plans. The Freshman forced two quick outs and closed out the game with a strikeout—his seventeenth of the campaign.

Smith shined in the 16-5 victory, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI.

Southern Virginia returns to league play this weekend, taking on Greensboro College in a three-game series that starts Friday afternoon.

To follow along with the action and for all the most up-to-date information regarding Southern Virginia University baseball, please visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_bsb on Instagram.