Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Harrisonburg, Va. – The Royals returned from Sarasota Florida yesterday afternoon after going 3-5 in the EMU Sarasota Spring Classic last week. The cumulative effect of playing eight games in six days showed as the Royals took on Guilford College in a double-header today. The Quakers entered into the contest as the winners of five straight while the Royals were looking to recover from four straight losses in the ODAC opener for both teams.

Sophomore T.J. Frazier (Grottoes, Va./Fort Defiance) pitched a complete game for the Royals in the first game and finished with eight strikeouts in the contest. The Royals ran into trouble in the second inning as Guilford freshman Brian Slate (Thomasville, Nc./Wesleyan Academy) reached base on a fielding error by the Royals. Slate eventually scored as the Quakers picked up a run in the inning to take a 1-0 lead. But the Royals kept the game close heading into the final inning.

The Royals best scoring opportunity of the game came in the fifth inning. Freshman Seth Berry (Fishersville, Va./The Covenant) reached first base on a fielders choice and advanced senior Casey Severs (Waynesboro, Va./Waynesboro) to second base. Freshman Cole Thornton (Massanutten, Va./Spotswood) stepped up to the plate and connected on a line drive single on the left side advancing Berry to second and Severs was waved home while rounding third but was tagged out at home plate. The Royals had a second scoring opportunity at the end of the inning after Berry stole third base. Thornton was caught in a run down between first and second giving Berry an opportunity to sprint home. Unfortunately for the Royals Thornton was tagged for the third out of the inning before Berry could reach the plate.

Entering the top of the seventh inning the score remained Guilford 1 EMU 0. Frazier forced a ground out against the first batter but threw a wild pitch with a full count allowing senior Luke Kempton (Greensboro, Nc./Page) to reach first base. Senior Brad Franklin (Greensboro, Nc./Southern Guilford) connected on a double to give Guilford runners on third and second. With first base open, the Royals intentionally walked the next batter loading the bases. Freshman Rob Bittner (Wilmington, De./Salesianum) stepped up to the plate and reached first base on an EMU error as Kempton stepped on home plate to give Guilford a 2-0 lead. The Royals picked up the second out of the inning on the next play but Franklin scored the final run of the game on a fielders choice.

EMU put a man on base in the bottom of the seventh but couldn't bring him in as Guilford won the first game by a score of 3-0.

Senior Ryan Martin (Ephrata, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) got the start in the second game and pitched five strong innings giving up only three hits and no runs. But Guilford hammered the Royals in the sixth inning by scoring 10 runs on seven hits to put the game out of reach. The Royals scored three runs during the remainder of the game while the Quakers increased their lead to 14 runs with three runs in the eighth inning and four more runs in the ninth to win by a final score of 17-3.

With the two losses the Royals fall to 3-11 on the season and 0-2 in the ODAC. Guilford improves to 12-3 on the season, 2-0 in the ODAC.

The Royals take on Frostburg State at home Thursday at 2:30pm, and Villia Julie at home Friday at 2:30pm non-conference games this week. The Royals travel to Hampden Sydney Saturday for an ODAC double-header beginning at noon.