Buena Vista, Va. – The Southern Virginia University baseball team put on a power-hitting display Saturday afternoon, slugging six home runs en route to a doubleheader sweep over William Peace University. The Knights clinched the series with back-to-back wins, 9-4 and 14-8, improving to 8-6 in conference play.
The Pacers opened with a pair of early runs, but Ryan Farris responded in the bottom of the third with a two-run blast to left-center, scoring Mason Jones and tying the game at 2-2.
After William Peace regained the lead 4-2 due to a passed ball and throwing error in the top of the fourth, the Knights answered immediately. Benji Horsley led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer to center. Later in the inning, with two outs, Jones and Farris singled before Seth Lloyd delivered a momentum-shifting three-run home run to center, giving Southern Virginia a 6-4 advantage. A double by Stockton Hall later in the inning scored Zack Geertsen, stretching the lead to 7-4.
Geertsen took over on the mound, allowing just three hits and no runs over the next three innings in a dominant outing. Marcelino Leonardo Jr. added an RBI double in the fifth to bring home Conner Robley, and a string of singles in the sixth led to the final run of the game as Southern Virginia secured a 9-4 win.
Carson Bybee closed the final two innings in relief, surrendering just one hit. Jones went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Lloyd, Farris, and Horsley each homered in the win.
The second game saw the Knights pick up where they left off. Garrett Stauffer opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first, followed by another solo homer from Horsley in the second. The Knights extended the lead with three straight singles by Leonardo Jr., Robert Stempin, and Geertsen, pushing the score to 3-0 after two innings.
The offense erupted in the fourth with a seven-run frame. With the bases loaded, Lloyd singled to drive in a run, Geertsen doubled in two more, and Hall followed with an RBI single. Mitch Smith capped off the inning with a towering two-run homer, giving the Knights a commanding 10-0 lead.
Southern Virginia added another run in the fifth before William Peace answered with a pair of home runs to cut it to 11-3. Leonardo Jr. contributed a sac fly to extend the lead to 12-3, but the Pacers rallied for five runs in the seventh to make it 12-8. Geertsen's solo home run in the eighth and a passed ball that allowed Stempin to score put the game away, sealing a 14-8 victory.
Jeffrey Hill earned the win, pitching 5.1 strong innings and allowing just three hits and two runs. Hall closed the final two innings without giving up a hit.
Team Highlights
Home Runs (6): Farris, Lloyd, Horsley (2), Smith, Geertsen
Team Season-Highs: Most home runs, sacrifice hits, and hit-by-pitches in a single day
Geertsen: Continued stellar two-way play, recording multiple hits and innings on the mound
Horsley: Two home runs across both games
Southern Virginia will look to complete the series sweep when they return to action against William Peace on Tuesday, April 15, at 12:00 PM.
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