The Eastern Mennonite University baseball team, behind a 6-for-9 day at the plate from senior Brandon Zollman (Lexington, Va.) split the two game set with Lynchburg College Saturday afternoon in Lynchburg, Va. The Royals dropped the first game 9-4 but rebounded to take the second game 7-6.

Zollman was the offensive force for EMU in the first game as the senior centerfielder went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI while also stealing a bag. He added another steal in the second game to move within six of tying the EMU career mark for steals in a season. Starting pitcher Jeff Walker (Ellicott City, Md.) went five innings for EMU, allowing eight runs, four earned on eight hits.

Sophomore right hander Michael Chrisman (Luray, Va.) pitched an inning of relief, scattering two hits while allowing one run in the loss.

Cameron Grant and Ronnie LeBrie provided the offense for LC as they combined to go 6-for-7 with four runs scored and four RBIs for the Hornets with starting pitcher Jason Kelly going the distance but allowing four runs in seven innings with 11 strikeouts to pick up the win.

Game two featured the Royals jumping out to a 5-3 lead after three innings as EMU plated four runs in the top of the third, all scoring with two outs in the inning. Freshman Andrew Pittman (Culpeper, Va.) and junior Jameson Jarvis (Culpeper, Va.) each had RBI singles for EMU in the inning with the big hit coming off the bat of freshman Justin Kitts (Winchester, Va.) who scored two with an RBI single to center.

Freshman rightfielder Zach Polloni (Hatfield, Pa.) and Jarvis each finished the game with two hits while Kitts went 1-for-4 with three RBIs.

Lynchburg took the lead in the bottom of the seventh before the Royals captured the lead again with a single run in each of the eighth and ninth innings. Zollman scored the winning run for EMU in the ninth thanks to an RBI single from catcher Max Kelly (Baltimore, Md.).

Freshman Justin Martin (Charlottesville, Va.) started the game for EMU and went six innings before Chrisman and Zollman closed out the game with Zollman pitching two innings of shutout baseball for the win.

LaBrie had another three hits for LC with second baseman Kyle Bradley putting in a 3-for-4 day with a run scored and an RBI.

The Royals record now stands at 7-23 overall on the season and 3-10 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference while Lynchburg is now 17-12 overall and 9-4 in the conference.

The Royals will now host ODAC foe Bridgewater College on Tuesday, April 10, with single game to be played on the EMU baseball field starting at 4 p.m.