A well-played second game, complete with a two-run ninth inning, gave EMU a split in their ODAC baseball opener at Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday. The Royals move to 10-6 on the season, including 1-1 in the conference.

The next scheduled game for Eastern Mennonite is set for Tuesday when they host Christopher Newport at 3:00pm.

Virginia Wesleyan 13, EMU 0
The Marlins started the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles and never let up, collecting 19 hits and scoring in six of their eight innings.

The men didn't get a hit until Joe Hall (Gladys, Va./Rustburg) singled with one out in the sixth, and managed only three total hits. Hall and Dean Lowery (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield) each had a single and a walk. Tyler McFadden (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem) had the other hit.

Starting pitcher Damon Frazier (Waynesboro, Va./Wilson Memorial) was touched up for 10 hits and six runs in 4.0 innings, falling to 3-2.

EMU 5, Virginia Wesleyan 3
Despite the disappointing opener, the Royals rebounded quickly when Griffin Stanley (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring) led off game two by drawing a walk. With two outs, Frazier shot an RBI single to right. After Ryan Hedrick (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) singled, Kyle Mathews (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) hit a two-run double to bump the lead to 3-0.

Right-hander Tyler Campbell (Luray, Va./Luray) kept VWC's bats in check, keeping them hitless until the fifth when they got back-to-back two-out hits to score a run.

The Marlins got to EMU's bullpen in the bottom of the eighth, using three walks to load the bases. They got a two-run single to tie the game at 3-3, but the Royals worked out of another bases loaded jam with back-to-back strikeouts.

Lowery got the men moving in the ninth, pulling a leadoff double down the left field line. Stanley dropped in a bunt single and Hall loaded the bases when VWC took his grounder and unsuccessfully tried to get out a runner. After Lowery was cut down at home on a groundball to short, Frazier ripped a single to left, bringing in two runs for the 5-3 lead.

Jake Brown (Gloucester, Va./Gloucester) came in to pitch the ninth, getting a 1-2-3 inning, for his first career save. Hall earned the win after pitching in the eight. Campbell settled for a no decision, allowing just four hits and one run in 6.2 innings.

Mathews had three of EMU's 11 hits, knocking in two runs. Frazier was 2-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Stanley and Lowery each had a pair of hits.