The Mary Baldwin baseball team picked up a pair of one-run victories Saturday over Southern Virginia, winning the first game 12-11 and the second game 5-4.

The doubleader sweep was the first in program history and the series win was also the first in program history.

The Fighting Squirrels won the opener in dramatic fashion.

Mary Baldwin took a 9-8 lead into the ninth inning in the opener, but the Knights scored three times in the top of the ninth to lead 11-8.

With one out in the bottom half of the ninth, Tyler Smith walked and Michael Robertson singled. Noah Kessler followed with a towering homer to right, giving the Squirrels a walk-off 12-11 victory. The homer was the second of the game for Kessler who belted a solo homer in the third inning.

Kessler was 3-for-6 with five RBIs and three runs scored  to lead the Squirrels' offense. Jared Mayhew was 4-for-5 with two RBIs. Robertson was 3-for-6 with three runs scored while Hensley was 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Colby Cheatham was 3-for-5 with a homer and two runs batted in.

Matthew Plotner picked up the win in relief for his first college win.

In Game 2, each team scored two runs in the first inning. Robertson led off the bottom of the first with a single, stole second and scored on Mayhew's double. A single by Cheatham scored Mayhew, tying the score at 2-2.

Southern Virginia grabbed the lead with a run in the third inning, but the Squirrels scored twice in the fourth inning to regain the advantage. Mayhew led off the fourth with a single and Cheatham walked. Tyler Smith tied the score with a double, scoring Mayhew. Cheatham scored on a sac fly by Owen Marshall, putting MBU out front 4-3.

SVU pulled even with a run in the fifth, but Mary Baldwin tallied what proved to be the winning run in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Mcihael Barber singled and Robertson was hit by a pitch. Barber scored on a double by Kessler for a 5-4 MBU lead.

Bradley Warrne pitched 1.2 innings in relief to pick up the victory. Plotner recorded the final out in the eighth inning and Alex Belako worked the ninth to earn his second save of the season. 

Mayhew and Smith each had two hits for the Squirrels.