Virginia Beach, VA - The Southern Virginia baseball team faced off against Virginia Wesleyan in a pair of closely contested games, ultimately falling short with scores of 3-6 and 2-5 in favor of the Marlins.
In the opening game, the Knights found themselves trailing early, conceding a 0-3 lead to the Marlins. However, they quickly mounted a response as Ryan Farris capitalized on an error, advancing on a wild pitch to set up a scoring opportunity for Seth Lloyd, whose double through the left side brought Farris home.
Despite Southern Virginia's efforts, Virginia Wesleyan added two more runs in the bottom of the 3rd inning. The Knights rallied in the following inning, loading the bases after leadoff singles from Mitch Smith and Stockton Hall, followed by Leonardo Jr reaching base. However, they couldn't convert as desired, resulting in a scoreless inning.
The Marlins extended their lead, but the Knights showcased resilience in the final inning, mounting a 2-out rally highlighted by Lloyd's walk and a David Hunley single that brought Nick Daynes home. However, they left two runners stranded, concluding the game with a final score of 3-6.
In the second game, Southern Virginia struggled once again to generate runs. Their only scoring innings came in the fifth, with Farris leading the charge with a single, followed by a Robert Stempin double down the left field line to score Farris. Lloyd's subsequent single added another run to the scoreboard. Despite their efforts, the Knights fell short, losing 2-5 in the second game.
Mitch Smith had a notable performance, going 4-for-7 on the day, while Lloyd contributed with a 3-for-7 performance at the plate. On the pitching side, Carson Bybee pitched four innings, conceding three runs, while Jeffrey Hill pitched 3.1 innings, allowing only one run.
Looking ahead, Southern Virginia aims to bounce back as they travel to Eastern Mennonite University for their 23rd meeting against the Royals. The Knights look to narrow the gap in the series history, with the Royals currently holding the edge with 14 wins to eight losses.
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