HARRISONBURG, Va. – EMU Baseball sought to carry the momentum from their Tuesday win when they hosted Randolph Macon for an ODAC doubleheader at Royals Field on Saturday. In a high-octane day of baseball, the Diamond Royals managed a split of the twinbill with the Yellow Jackets, who made the NCAA Division III World Series last season.
The Royals' game one victory came in dramatic fashion. In the bottom of the ninth, with
Dylan Hall standing on first base,
Nick Arnold blasted a two-run, walk-off home run over the left field fence to secure a 6-4 win, sending the Rowdy Royals into a frenzy. Game two, however, did not go the home team's way as Randolph Macon prevailed by a score of 14-7. The game one win marked EMU's first victory over Randolph Macon since 2022, snapping a five-game losing streak in the series.
Records: EMU 8-12, 3-7 ODAC | Randolph Macon 13-8, 8-4 ODAC
Game One: EMU 6, Randolph Macon 4
WP:
Colby Eidson (1-0)
LP: Connor McAuley (1-1)
Highlights
- Starting pitchers Josh Gjormand of EMU and Bere Bauers of Randolph Macon traded scoreless frames in the first two innings. The visiting Yellow Jacket broke the ice in the top of the third with three runs to go up 3-0.
- The Royals broke through with their first two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Arnold and Hall executed a double steal, and then Hall took advantage of a throwing error by Randolph Macon's catcher to get the Royals' first run of the day. Arnold touched home a few moments later when Chris Polymeropoulos hit a sac fly to left field. That made the score RMC 3, EMU 2 after five innings.
- EMU attained their first lead of the afternoon in the sixth. Jett Cabanban belted a double to right field, allowing Aidan Miller to score. That brought Noah Sanderson to the dish, who smacked a base hit to right center to bring home Cabanban and put the Royals 4-3.
- The Yellow Jackets were quick to sting back, tying the game at four in the top of the seventh.
- Colby Eidson stepped onto the mound with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. He then retired the next four Yellow Jacket batters. A lead-off single by Hall in the bottom of the ninth set the stage for Arnold's heroics, sealing the victory with his fourth home run of the season.
Statistical Leaders
Arnold: 1-for-4, HR, 2 runs, 2 RBIs
Hall: 2-for-4, 2 runs
Gjormand: 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 2 Ks
Eidson: 1.1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 K
Game Two: Randolph Macon 14, EMU 7
WP: Sam Slevin (3-2)
LP:
Damen Tapscott (1-5)
Highlights
- Just like game one, it was the Yellow Jackets who stung first, with a run apiece in the first and second innings.
- Miller cut the deficit in half for EMU with a solo home run that went over the fence and hit the scoreboard beyond left field. That made it a 2-1 game in favor of Randolph Macon through two innings.
- Following a third inning in which the two teams put up one run each, Randolph Macon created some separation from the Royals with a five-run fourth inning. EMU was able to get two of those runs back, courtesy of a two-RBI triple by Sanderson. That put the score at Randolph Macon 8, EMU 4 after four innings of work.
- The Yellow Jackets continued to swarm the scoreboard, tacking on two runs each in the fifth and sixth innings. The Royals had one run of their own in the bottom of the fifth as Erik Wilkinson smacked a double, opening the door for Daniel McGinnis to get home. Then, in the bottom of the sixth, Miller reached home as Sanderson grounded out to the shortstop. With that, the score became Randolph Macon 13, EMU 6.
- The Yellow Jackets scored once in the top of the eighth, but Miller immediately got that run back with a solo home run that was eerily similar to his earlier round-tripper to make it a 14-7 ball game. Neither team added any runs in the ninth.
Statistical Leaders
Miller: 3-for-4, 2 HR, 3 runs, 2 RBIs
Sanderson: 1-for-4, 3 RBIs
Tapscott: 3.0 IP, 3 ER, 1 K
What's Next
The Diamond Royals won't have much time to rest before their next home game against Mary Washington on Tuesday, April 1. First pitch from Royals Field is scheduled for 4 p.m.
