The Eastern Mennonite University baseball team was unable to complete the late comeback attempt as the Royals fell 4-3 to the University of Mary Washington Thursday afternoon in Fredericksburg, Va.

UMW improves to 10-3 overall while EMU falls to 5-12 on the season.

Sophomore first baseman Jeff Walker (Ellicott City, Md./Mt. Hebron), freshmen Chris Handler (Mesa, Ariz./Skyline), and Chris Harpine (Fredericksburg, Va./Colonial Forge) each had two hits in the game for EMU.

Starting pitcher Matthew Ramey (Stuarts Draft, Va./Ridgeview Christian) went three innings while freshman Ben Wise (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee) pitched the final five innings, scattering five hits while allowing only one run and one walk in the loss.

Zach Hendrix picked up the win for Mary Washington, going six innings and allowing only one run while Andrew Cox notched his first save of the season.

The home team pushed four runs across in the first five innings of the game with EMU being held scorless. Entering the sixth inning, the Royals opened with sophomore Cody Davis (Goodview, Va./Staunton River), serving as the teams leadoff man this afternoon, reaching base on a single and eventually moving to third on a single by Harpine and a wild pitch. Davis and later Harpine came around to score on an error and a wild pitch as EMU now trailed by two (4-2).

The visiting Royals scored another run in the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly by Davis before the Eagles were able to close the door as Jeff Brill and Cox held EMU scoreless the rest of the way for the 4-3 win.

Frankie Sheffield went 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI for UMW.

EMU will now travel to Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday, March 15, for a double header with the Marlins scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.