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ASHLAND, Virginia –

In a battle of teams receiving votes in the national polls, Coast Guard came away victorious in a 10-7 slug fest over Randolph-Macon. The loss drops Randolph-Macon to 7-4, they will next travel to Rocky Mount, NC to face North Carolina Wesleyan on March 12th at 3:00 PM. 

The game started much like it had the last three games for the Bears, with lots of traffic on the bases early. In the first, they were able to load the bases but ultimately stranded all three for their first scoreless first inning thus far in the season. In the bottom of the first, Randolph-Macon loaded the bases with two outs as well but a bleeder up the middle scored two to give them the early 2-0 advantage.

In the second, the Bears put together an outstanding two out rally. Luke Percifield(Pinellas Park, FL) got the action started with a two strike bloop single into left before Connor Cilento(Point Pleasant, NJ) reached on error, leaving 2nd and 3rd for Carson Cho(Haymarket, VA). Cho made the error hurt immediately with a two RBI double. With Cho on 2nd, Nate Stafford(Jupiter, FL) made it hurt even more with a no doubt, two run tank over the Randolph-Macon bullpen.

The Yellowjackets however would answer in the bottom of the frame with three runs of their own to retake the lead. They were threatening for more but freshman Alexander Smith(Fairfield, OH) came in and stopped the bleeding for the Bears with a strikeout to end the inning. 

Like they did in the first, the Bears offense again left the bases loaded in the 3rd. Unlike the first, the Yellowjackets could not answer with runs of their own. After a leadoff single, Alexander Smith and his infield beared down to keep RMC off the board, with a 6-4-3 double play followed by a 5-3 putout by lock down Luke Percifield.

Both squads went scoreless in the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th innings to send the game into the 8th with RMC leading 5-4. 

In the 8th, Carson Cho reached on a fielder's choice in front of Nate Stafford who walked. After battling off numerous two strike pitches, cleanup hitter Max Van Auken(Franklinville, NJ) delivered with a game tying single into right field. After an Ayden Gurevich(Lake Worth Beach, FL) walk, Isaac Hobbs(Arlington, VA) stepped up to the plate for his first AB of the season and delivered in a huge way, with a clutch pinch hit two run single. Kael Godshalk(Bangor, PA) followed that up with an RBI wall ball double before Yadisson Karbalaieasghar(Coral Springs, FL) keeped the line moving, scoring Hobbs with a single. Having previously entered as a defensive replacement, Mason Phillips(Oak Park, IL) did his job as well with a sac fly to score Godshalk, putting the cherry on top of a six run inning, and giving the Bears a 10-5 lead.

The Yellowjackets bounced back with an unearned run in the bottom of the 8th. Then in the 9th, they scored once before loading the bases to put the winning run in the batters box. Fighting through the jam, Bears closer Jackson Dorsey(Newark, DE) fielded a weak grounder back at him to record the final out and secure the 10-7 win.

Alexander Smith was masterful in his 5.1 inning relief appearance, allowing no runs and just two hits to earn his first career collegiate win. 

The win gets the Bears back to .500 at 2-2, they will close out their spring break trip with a 2:00 PM game at #23 Christopher Newport tomorrow afternoon.