The Mary Baldwin Fighting Squirrels took on the Roanoke College Maroons in a mid-week, non-conference showdown in Grottoes, VA, and they delivered in thrilling fashion. Despite Roanoke's solid 12-9-1 record coming in, the Fighting Squirrels played with grit, capitalizing on an early lead, a stellar pitching performance, and remarkable plate discipline to secure an 8-5 victory.
Mary Baldwin wasted no time jumping on the board. In the bottom of the first inning, #23 Jacob Barber roped a clutch RBI single to bring home Carter Attard, giving the Squirrels a 1-0 lead. Roanoke responded quickly, plating two runs in the second inning off a pair of singles. However, the Fighting Squirrels answered right back with a three-run outburst, fueled by patient at-bats and a key single from #29 Kelly Hackley, putting Mary Baldwin ahead 4-2. In the third inning, #13 Roman Borders took the hill—and he was lights out. The right-hander stifled the Maroons' offense with five scoreless innings of work, striking out seven along the way. His dominant outing kept Roanoke off balance and gave the Fighting Squirrels the momentum they needed. Mary Baldwin's bats stayed hot in the fourth inning, tacking on four more runs to extend their lead. Though Roanoke made a late push with runs in the eighth and ninth innings, closer #42 Nicholas Puckett slammed the door, shutting down the Maroons and sealing the 8-5 victory.
The Fighting Squirrels' disciplined approach at the dish was a game-changer, drawing 11 walks throughout the contest. Offensive standouts included #8 Carter Attard, who tallied 2 walks, a double, and 3 runs scored; #23 Jacob Barber, who recorded 2 walks, 3 RBIs, and a run scored; #19 Tyler Morley, who contributed 2 walks and a run scored; #32 Camden Bauswell, who added a walk, a hit, a run, and an RBI; and #24 Trevor Hebner, who drew 3 walks and drove in a run. On the mound, Borders delivered his best performance of the season, tossing 5 shutout innings with 7 strikeouts, giving Mary Baldwin the edge they needed.
The Fighting Squirrels will be back in action this weekend for a three-game USA South Conference series against the Methodist University Monarchs. Game 1 and Game 2 will take place on Saturday, March 29, at 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM, respectively. The series finale will be on Sunday, March 30, at 12:00 PM
