Eastern Mennonite University jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two innings only to have the Shenandoah University Hornets sting the Royals with an 11-run fifth inning in route to a 22-7 non-conference win Wednesday afternoon in Harrisonburg, Va.

The win puts the Hornets at 9-1 overall on the season. Shenandoah University competes in the USA South conference where they have yet to play a game.

EMU falls to 2-4-1 on the season following the loss.

The Royals jumped on the board in the second inning as a pair of runners came across the plate on a couple Shenandoah miscues. With a runner already at third, junior outfielder Chris Baker (Winchester, Va./John Handley) stole second to put two in scoring position with junior second baseman Cody Davis (Goodview, Va./Staunton River) reaching on a free pass two pitches later to load them up. Sophomore rightfielder Ben Wise (Staunton, Va./Robert E. Lee) then stroked a single through the left-side of the diamond, scoring one. Sophomore centerfielder Chris Harpine (Fredericksburg, Va./First Colonial) then followed with a towering drive over the right-center field fence for the grand slam, putting EMU up 7-0.

The Royals continued to shut down the potent Shenandoah offense through the next two innings as freshman right-hander Ryan Miller (Vesuvius, Va./Rockbridge Co.) had gone four innings allowing only two hits.

The flood gates then opened up in the top half of the fifth inning as two home runs, one each by Scott Van Dusseldorp and Josh Simons and a bases loaded RBI double from Greg Van Sickler gave the Hornets their first lead of the game. An RBI triple by Kevin Brashears and another runner crossing the plate on an EMU error gave the visiting team an 11-run inning before the Royals were able to get the final out.

The Royals were unable to bounce back as Shenadoah starting pitcher Jake Yocum settled down after the second inning. Yocum went six innings, allowing the seven unearned runs on four hits in the win.

Wise went 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Harpine was also 1-for-3 with a run scored and 4 RBI.

Van Sickler led the Hornets with 4 RBI. Henry, Simons, and Van Sickler each had three hits and three runs scored for SU.

The Royals will look to bounce back from this loss as they travel down to Sarasota, Fla., to compete against Bluffton University and Goshen College this coming weekend. EMU will take on the Maple Leafs of Goshen College on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 1 p.m., before tangling with the Beavers of Bluffton University on Monday, Mar. 2, at 1 p.m.