Hampton, Va. – Playing their fourth game in three days, the Southern Virginia University baseball team powered through fatigue to earn a 5-3 non-conference victory over the Apprentice School on the road Wednesday afternoon.
The Knights got on the board early in the first inning. Conner Robley reached after being hit by a pitch, followed by a walk to Seth Lloyd and a single by Zack Geertsen to load the bases. Stockton Hall drew a bases-loaded walk to push across the first run. Despite the promising start, Southern Virginia came away with just one run in the frame.
In the second inning, with two outs and the bases empty, Mason Jones stepped up and launched a solo shot over the wall to extend the Knights' lead to 2-0.
The Builders responded quickly in the bottom half of the inning. A combination of walks and key hits helped Apprentice plate three runs and take a 3-2 lead.
Southern Virginia answered right back in the third. Geertsen led off with a triple to right-center and was brought home by a Garrett Stauffer single down the line to tie the game at 3-3.
Starting pitcher Brady Steelman settled in from there, keeping the Builders scoreless over his final two innings. Meanwhile, the Knights regained the lead in the fourth as Jones doubled and came around to score on another Geertsen RBI knock.
The final run of the game came in the fifth inning when Jones roped his second double of the game, setting the table for Geertsen to drive him in once again—his second RBI of the day and fourth hit overall.
Southern Virginia's bullpen did the rest. Rock Giles provided key middle relief, and Stockton Hall closed out the game in the ninth to secure the save. Steelman earned the win after pitching four innings and allowing three runs.
Zack Geertsen had another phenomenal day at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs. Over the last three games, Geertsen is a scorching 11-for-14 (.786) and now leads the USA South in batting average at .448.
Mason Jones also had a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate, adding an RBI and scoring twice. Garrett Stauffer continued his strong season as well, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and improving his season average to .381—currently 8th-best in the USA South.
The Knights return to conference play this weekend for a pivotal three-game series against second-place Greensboro College. Southern Virginia (8-7 USA South) travels to take on the Pride (10-4) on Friday, April 18 at 3:00 PM, followed by a doubleheader on Saturday, April 19 beginning at noon.
For the most up-to-date information on Southern Virginia University baseball, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_bsb on Instagram.
