The Roanoke College baseball team ran their winning streak to four games with a 9-4 win over Ferrum College in Ferrum Monday. The Maroons swept a three game series over Muhlenberg College over the weekend in Salem.
On Monday in Franklin County the Maroons got off to a quick start as Sean Guida led off with a single and moved to second when Scott Ellis followed with a single to put runners on first and second. Will Salva then singled to score Guida to make it 1-0 and move Ellis to second base. Ellis would steal third and eventually score on an Eli Sumpter RBI single to push the RC lead to 2-0.
Ferrum came right back in its first at-bat, tying the game following a Tim Ortega RBI double and an RBI single by Scott Breeden. Roanoke regained the lead at 3-2 in the third inning when Will Merriken doubled to start off the inning, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Jack Howard and scored on a Sumpter RBI groundout.
Guida doubled to open the fourth inning and went to third on an Ellis bunt. With two outs, Merriken singled up the middle to put RC in front 4-2.
Roanoke struck for four runs in the visitor half of the seventh inning to take an 8-2 lead. The Maroons loaded the bases before Gavin Kandrick and Will Smith each drove in runs with fielder’s choice RBIs. Guida then connected for a two-out single to score Smith and Kandrick and make it 8-2. RC tacked on a run in the ninth inning when Sumpter tripled to lead off the inning and scored on a one-out sacrifice fly off the bat of Dean Hermanson.
Connor Chiulli (1-1) got the win after coming out of the bullpen and tossing 2.1 innings and allowing just three hits.
On Sunday at Kiwanis Field Smith hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to lift Roanoke to a 4-3 win and a series sweep over Muhlenberg. Salva led the way going 2-for-4 with two RBI while seven other Maroons tallied a hit on the day. Nick Raulin earned the win to move to 2-0 on the season.
Roanoke is now 8-3 and 16th ranked nationally in Division III. The Maroons’ next three games are on the road, including Saturday’s Old Dominion Athletic Conference season opening games against Bridgewater College. The doubleheader will begin at noon.
Next Wednesday, March 14, RC will be at Lynchburg College for a 3 pm game.
