Box Score (Game One)
Box Score (Game Two)

Freshman outfielder Ben Wise (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee) cut into the Hampden-Sydney lead in a big way with his first career grand slam while freshman outfielder Chris Handler (Mesa, Ariz./Skyline) gave Eastern Mennonite University the lead with a three-run home run as the Royals split the two-game set with the Tigers Saturday afternoon in Harrisonburg, Va.

The Royals were defeated 8-1 in game one, but came back to take the second game 8-7.

EMU has two more season series before the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Tournament with the Royals standing at 9-27 overall and 5-11 in the conference. The Royals are currently in the eighth spot in the conference and will need to sweep their last remaining ODAC matchup against Washington & Lee, scheduled for Saturday, April 19, and hope the teams ahead of them falter in the final week of the season.

Hampden-Sydney is now 16-20 overall and an even 7-7 in the ODAC.

The Royals were held to only one run on six hits in game one as Hampden-Sydney starting pitcher Daniel Hadra went the distance, striking out five Royals while issuing only one walk in seven innings.

Zach Harrelson was 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and three RBIs. Daniel Prieto had two hits in three trips to the plate with two RBIs.

Senior third baseman Jameson Jarvis (Culpeper, Va./Culpeper Co.) and sophomore designated hitter Zach Polloni (Hatfield, Pa./Christopher Dock) were each 2-for-3 with Polloni scoring a run.

The game was scoreless through the first three innings until Hampden-Sydney was able to scratch a run across the board in the top of the fourth as Prieto drove in Harrelson with an RBI single to left. The visiting Tigers put a four spot on the board in the sixth inning and followed that up with three more runs in the top of the seventh. Harrelson scored a pair of Tiger runners in the sixth inning with a single up the middle and added another RBI in the seventh with a single to right field.

In the second game of the day the Royals found themselves down early after Hampden-Sydney scored two runs in the second inning. David Toney led off the inning with a home run as A.J. Prill doubled to right-center field, scoring Prieto to give the Tigers the lead.

Hampden-Sydney continued to pour on the offense as they increased their lead to 6-0 in the fourth. Prieto, Prill, Nick Price, and Luke Swiney each had RBI singles in the inning. EMU was able to push one run across in the bottom half of the inning as Handler came around to score on a Hampden-Sydney throwing error.

With the game 6-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh the Royals went to the long ball to get back into the contest. Freshman outfielder Chris Harpine (Fredericksburg, Va./Colonial Forge) led off the inning with a double and made his way to third base before being thrown out at home as Jarvis reached on a throwing error. Polloni followed, and singled to center, putting runners on the corners with one out. Hampden-Sydney starting pitcher Robbie Bailey got the second out on a strike out, but allowed Jake Norman (Fredericksburg, Va./Colonial Forge) to reach on a walk, bringing Wise to the dish. Wise, who already has one home run this week, launched his third career home run over the left-field fence to put the Royals down by only one.

Ethan Russell (Huntley, Va./Rappahannock), pitching in relief of starter Michael Moles (Waynesboro, Va./Stuarts Draft), held the Tigers at bay in the top of the seventh, giving the Royals a chance to take the lead. Bailey sat the first two Royals batters down in order, but was again betrayed by his defense as Jarvis and Polloni reached on back-to-back errors. The Tigers brought in Bryan Breedlove, who was promptly greeted with a three-run home run by Handler, putting the Royals on top 8-6.

The Tigers scratched a single run across in the eighth before Harpine finished out the game in the ninth, earning his first career save.

Polloni was 1-for-4 with two runs scored as Harpine finished the day 2-for-4 from the plate with a run scored.

Russell pitched three innings in relief for EMU, scattering four hits while allowing one unearned run to score. Harpine struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth.