Fayetteville, N.C. — The Southern Virginia University Baseball made history Thursday afternoon, picking up its first-ever USA South Conference Tournament win with a commanding 21-10 victory over North Carolina Wesleyan University. After falling to the Bishops in last year's tournament, the Knights came out with fire, knocking down the four-time defending champions in emphatic fashion.

The Knights wasted no time, jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Ryan Farris singled, followed by a walk from Seth Lloyd. Zack Geertsen brought in the first run on a fielder's choice, and Garrett Stauffer added a single. Mitch Smith added another RBI on a fielder's choice before Marcelino Leonardo Jr. and Benjamin Horsley delivered RBI singles to cap the explosive inning.

After NC Wesleyan got on the board with a run in the second, the Knights answered quickly. Stauffer and Smith reached base again in the third, and aggressive baserunning on wild pitches helped Southern Virginia extend the lead. Horsley crushed a double to center to make it 6-1.

By the end of the fourth inning, the Knights led 10-2, thanks to a wave of singles from Lloyd, Geertsen, and Hall. A three-run homer by NC Wesleyan in the bottom of the fourth began to spark a Bishop comeback, and a big fifth inning cut the lead to just 10-9. A critical double play by Lloyd and Smith ended the threat and stabilized the Knights' momentum.

Southern Virginia responded in the sixth with another offensive burst. Smith, Horsley, and Leonardo Jr. delivered again, pushing the lead to 13-9. Despite allowing one more run, reliever Stockton Hall entered and slammed the door, allowing no runs across 2.1 innings.

The top of the seventh was a statement. Stauffer launched a two-run homer and Leonardo Jr. followed with a towering three-run blast to left field—his first home run of the year—giving the Knights an 18-10 lead.

They added even more insurance in the eighth with RBI hits from Geertsen and Leonardo Jr., who capped off the game with a two-run single, bringing his RBI total to seven—tied for third most in a game in program history.

Standout Performances:

• Marcelino Leonardo Jr.: 5-for-6, 7 RBIs (tied school record), HR, 2B
   

• Garrett Stauffer: 4-for-5, 4 runs (tied for second-most in a game), HR, 3 RBIs
   

• Benjamin Horsley: 4-for-4, 2 RBIs, 2 walks, 2B
   

• Zack Geertsen: 3-for-6, 2 RBIs
   

• Carson Bybee: 1.2 IP, 1 run
   

• Stockton Hall: 2.1 IP, 0 runs, 2 hits (save)
   

Southern Virginia's 21 runs marked the sixth-highest single-game total in program history as the Knights advance to face top-seeded Methodist University on Friday, May 2 at 12:00 PM in the next round of the USA South Conference Tournament.

For the most up-to-date information on Southern Virginia University baseball, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_bsb on Instagram.