Sorry I’m a few days late with this recap (my wife had a friend over from out of state). On Tuesday I decided to go to the Virginia Wesleyan College game here in the Hampton Roads area. the Marlins and Hampden-Sydney are DIII teams. Virginia Wesleyan plays their home games on campus at Marlin Field. Its small field with a main bleacher behind home plate and a much smaller one next to the home dugout. I think my high school field fits more people. the game was free and there was no official attendance record that I know of but I would estimate there was about 75-90 people there, mostly family. VWC was hosted inter Old Dominion Athletic Conference foe Hampden-Sydney College Tigers.
So. Dylan Stoskus (3-6) was staring on the mound for VWC, while HSC set out Jr. Hunter Lewis (2-1). Both got out to a rough start. In the first inning the Stoskus a little trouble with control, giving up two singles one from Lewis and the other from Jeff Grey, then a walk and Andrew Tucker was hit by a pitch to loaded them up and bring in the first run of the game. But he would find his form striking out James Keller to end the inning. 1-0 Tigers.
The Marlins would answer in the bottom half of the inning. SS Brett Sutryk got a single, follow by a fielders choice which put CF Kenneth Belgrave on first. Belgrave would go on to steal second, allowing the next batter DH Casey Bryant to knock in the tying run. Bryant would also steal second. 1-1
For the next threw innings both pitchers dueled it out. With neither one giving up any runs. The top of the fifth would be the turning point in the game. An error by VWC 3B Josh Miller would allow Jeff Grey to start the inning on first with on outs. After a walk and a sac bunt, the Tigers had two one in scoring position with only one out. Tucker would drive them both in with a sac fly to deep right field, putting the HSC up 3-1. In the top of the sixth 2B John Lloyd hit a nice triple for his second hit of the game. Lloyd would score a batter later when Christian Hamlett would hit a sac fly to left field. 4-1 Hampden-Sydney.
The Tigers would score their fifth and final run in the seventh. A two out double from Chamberlin, follow by a RBI double from Tucker would give the Tigers a 5-1 edge over the home team.
The bottom of the ninth would be interesting. The Marlins would manage to load the bases. With a lead-off single from Josh Miller followed by another single from Jordan Miller and a well hit ball by Billy Crowe. Josh Miller should of scored on the single by Crowe but was held at third base. But only one of them would score. Evan Polk manage to get one runner in on a ground ball that almost became a double play. The game would end on a slow hit ball back to the Tigers pitcher Luke Rabiej. Hampden-Sydney would defeat Virginia Wesleyan 5-2 on VWC’s last home game of the year.
Overall it was an entertaining game that I really enjoyed watching.
Virginia Wesleyan Players of the game: DH Casey Bryant 2/4 w/ 1RBI, 1SB, P David Austin 1IP w/1K, LF Jordan Miller 2/3 w/1BB
Hampden-Sydney: 2B Josh Lloyd 3/4 w/ 1 Triple, 1R & 1SB, P Hunter Lewis 1W, 5K, 1R, 1B, CF Andrew Tucker 1/3 w/ 3RBI, 1Double, 1HP
Virginia Wesleyan College had two players in the professional ranks during the 2012 season, Colin Roberson & Mike Marion, both playing on independent teams.
While Hamplden-Sydney College has produced three MLB players, Bob Humphreys, Soup Campbell, & Dan McFarlan, the most recent was Humphreys in 1971.
