The Royals wrapped up their 2012 season on Saturday, by taking on a streaking Virginia Wesleyan team on the road.  The Marlins, who had beaten No. 2 Christopher Newport the day before, kept on their roll as they swept Eastern Mennonite in the season finale for both teams.

Virginia Wesleyan 5, EMU 2
The Royals had the first lead of the day, jumping ahead 1-0 in the top of the fourth.  Beau Banglesdorf (Stafford, VA/Mountain View) doubled, stole third, and then came in when Justin Rodriguez (Miramar, FL/Pace) hit into a doubleplay.

The Marlins came right back in the bottom of the inning, however, and re-took a lead which they never gave up by scoring a pair of runs.  Eastern Mennonite scored their other run in the sixth with Chris Rodriguez (Miami, FL/Pace) starting things off with a walk.  Back-to-back singles from Jonathan Estrada (Miami, FL/Doral Academy) and Michael Wade (Waynesboro, VA/Fort Defiance) brought him in.

Daniel Stanley (Henrico, VA/Varina) threw a complete game for the men and took the loss.

Wade finished 3-4 with an RBI to lead a 10-hit attack.  Banglesdorf and B.J. Mortimer (Mechanicsville, VA/Lee-Davis) each had a pair of hits.  Chris Rodriguez and Ryan McAlister (Bridgewater, VA/Turner Ashby) each had a hit and a walk.

Virginia Wesleyan, 9, EMU 4
The home team scored first in the nightcap before EMU threw up a three spot in the second.  Ryan McAlister started the scoring with a two-out RBI double.  Banglesdorf hit a triple to put the men in front and Mortimer then singled him in to push the lead to 3-1.

Virginia Wesleyan got one back in the bottom of the frame by scratching out three walks and a hit batter off starter Casey Harlow (Louisa, VA/Louisa County).  One more run in the third tied the game at 3-3.

The deadlock lasted until the seventh, when the Marlins used an RBI single to go up 4-3.  VWC got all the insurance they needed in the eighth, bringing in five runs.  McAlister singled and scored on a wild pitch in the ninth to produce the final 9-4 score.

Harlow had an effective outing, giving up four runs in seven innings.  Adam Posey (Poquoson, VA/Poquoson) also pitched in relief, getting tagged for five runs in the eighth.

Banglesdorf was again solid on a day when he took over the leadoff spot, going 2-4 with a walk, run and RBI.  McAlister batted 2-2 with a walk.  He scored twice and knocked in another.  Posey and Joshua Martin (Crozet, VA/Western Albemarle) each had a pair of hits.

It was the final game in a Royals uniform for Richter, Banglesdorf, Dylan Smith (Sterling, VA/Park View), Justin King (Lititz, PA/Warwick) and Martin.  Smith leaves as the EMU record holder for career walks, walks in a season and times being hit by a pitch.

EMU closes the season with a record of 11-27 overall and 4-14 in the ODAC.