Box Score Harrisonburg, Va. – The Royals rebounded from a tough non-conference loss to Maryville College yesterday to pick-up their first Old Dominion Athletic Conference win of the 2003 season.

The Royals (5-14-1, 1-4 ODAC) battled tough through the entire game giving up only one run to the Yellow-Jackets of Randolph-Macon College (3-7, 1-4 ODAC). Junior John Lonneman (Petersburg, Va./St. Vincent de Paul) got the start for the Royals and pitched 6.1 innings striking out seven batters and giving up only one run in the top of the fourth inning.

Macon's lone run of the day came in the fourth inning when Jacob Hickman reached second with a leadoff double to left center field. Hickman advanced to third on a fielders choice and scored on a ground-out to second base to give the Yellow-Jackets a 1-0 advantage.

EMU tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning when senior Jeremy Auker (Front Royal, Va./Warren County) reached first base with a lead off walk and senior Chris Severs (Waynesboro, Va./Waynesboro) reached first on an error by the first baseman to put runners on first and second. Freshman Seth Berry (Fishersville, Va/Covenant School) nearly reached first base with a bunt down the left field line, but advanced the runners to second and third with one out. Sophomore T.J. Frazier (Harriston, Va./Fort Defiance) pinch-hit for the Royals and drove in Chris Severs with an RBI single through the gap in right center tying the game at 1-1.

With junior Kevin Forry (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) on the mound for the Royals in the eighth, the Yellow-Jackets went three-up, three-down and the Royals carried their momentum through to the bottom of the eighth inning.

Junior Barney Quick (Waynesboro, Va./Waynesboro) led off the eighth inning with a double to left-center field and reached home on a RBI single by freshman Casey Armstrong (Manassas, Va./Brentsville District). The Royals added two more runs in the inning. With senior Casey Severs (Waynesboro, Va./Waynesboro) on third base and Chris Severs on first, Berry stepped to the plate and delivered with an RBI single. That brought freshman Michael Kniss (Chicago, Il./Whitney M. Young) to the plate with runners on first and second. Kniss connected on a RBI single that rolled nearly to the outfield fence, and Chris Severs trucked it all the way from second base to score the Royals fourth run of the game.

Forry made quick work of the Yellow-Jackets in the ninth as RMC went three-up, three-down for the second straight inning giving the Royals their fifth win of the season.

The Royals take on Washington & Lee University at home this Saturday in an ODAC double-header beginning at 12:00pm.