Even with the new bats, Randolph-Macon can still hit the ball. So the Royals found out Saturday as they were swept by R-MC in their ODAC opening doubleheader. The Yellow Jackets, picked second in the ODAC's preseason poll, pounded 37 hits before the nightcap was called due to darkness.

Randolph-Macon 18, EMU 6
Box Score
Game one of the twinbill was tight through the opening frames. R-MC brought in two runs in their first at-bat, but senior Chris Harpine (Fredericksburg, Va./Colonial Forge) nailed his first homer of the season in the bottom of the inning.

The Yellow Jackets pushed the lead to 4-1 before EMU tied it in the second. The men mounted a two-out rally with only one hit, a double from freshman Ryan McAlister (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby), and tied the score at 4-4.

The visitors scored one run in the third, and although the Royals threatened, they left the bases loaded for the second straight inning. R-MC put up four in the fourth and EMU went scoreless again. Through four innings, the men left 10 men on base.

Beau Banglesdorf (Stafford, Va./Mountain View) cracked a homerun in the sixth to trim the edge to 11-6, but that was it for the Royals. The visitors added seven more runs to produce the final 18-6 score.

Eastern Mennonite went through four pitchers in the game and gave up 28 hits and six walks. Starter Jason Tate (Herndon, Va./Herndon) pitched into the fourth inning and was charged with nine of the runs and took the loss.

The Royals scored their six runs on just six hits, as they also coaxed 11 walks. Banglesdorf finished 2-2 with two RBIs and a run. Harpine and McAlister each went 1-4 with a run and RBI.

Randolph-Macon 9, EMU 3
Box Score
After the lengthy first game, a sense of urgency settled on the un-lit field for the nightcap. R-MC plated three runs in the top of the first but the men got two of them back in the third.

Adrian Perez (Miami, Fl./Doral Academy) led off with a walk and scored when B.J. Mortimer (Mechanicsville, Va./Lee-Davis) doubled. And RBI groundout trimmed the lead to 3-2.

Bubt the Yellow Jackets returned to denting the plate in their next at-bats, scoring six runs over the next two innings to push to a 9-2 advantage.

Banglesdorf hit a one-out double in the sixth and scored on a single by Michael Wade (New Hope, Va./Fort Defiance), but that was it for the scoring and the game was called after the inning.

Andy Richter (Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) pitched 4-1/3 innings and took the loss. He allowed eight of the runs on seven hits and nine walks.

Mortimer was the only Royal with multiple hits, as he finished 2-3 (both doubles) with a run and RBI.

The losses drop EMU to 3-9 and 0-2 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. The Royals will try to break their four-game losing skid Thursday when they host Southern Virginia for a single game. First pitch will be at 3:00pm.