Box Score Michael Robertson and Dylan Rankin each had three hits and four runs produced as Mary Baldwin's baseball team registered the highest single-game run total in its inaugural varsity season, but the Fighting Squirrels still came up short in a 21-11 decision vs. 12th-ranked North Carolina Wesleyan.
Robertson, who has played in all 19 games this season and leads the team in hits (24), runs scored (17), batting average (.369), slugging percentage (.468) and on-base percentage (.492), ripped a double, two singles, drew a walk, scored three runs and knocked in one more.
Rankin, who is also among the team leaders in most offensive categories, stroked three RBI singles and scored a run for the Fighting Squirrels, who twice rallied from deficits of five or more runs to bring the tying run to the plate.
North Carolina Wesleyan, led by leadoff hitter Tyson Bass, who had a game-opening solo homer and finished with four hits, two walks, five runs and four RBI, jumped out to a 5-0 lead before MBU scored three in the bottom of the third inning. Noah Kessler's two-run double highlighted the hosts' third inning charge.
The Battling Bishops answered with an eight run fourth inning that featured four hits, four walks and two MBU errors to take a 13-3 lead. Brad Pennington's three-run homer anchored the eight-run outburst.
NCW's lead was 15-4 going into the bottom of the seventh when the MBU battled back with seven runs, cutting the deficit to 15-11, on a Rankin RBI hit, seven walks, a hit batsman and a strikeout/wild pitch.
But NCW answered again with five runs in the top of the eighth, featuring three consecutive RBI doubles to the leftfield gap, followed by a two-run homer by Zach Scott, which put the game out of reach.
The Fighting Squirrels will close out their inaugural varsity season's home schedule Friday (4/30) with a doubleheader against NC Wesleyan at Moxie Field in Staunton's Gypsy Hill Park, beginning at 2 p.m.
