Hornets Handle Captains
By Mark Sawyer
The Winchester Star
It’s still very early in the season, but the Shenandoah University baseball team is starting to turn some heads. And the message the Hornets sent this weekend should be heard loud and clear throughout the entire USA South Conference.
Sunday afternoon, the Hornets jumped all over Christopher Newport 12-1 to win the rubber game of the three-game series and claim their first USA South conference series of the season. In the three-game set, SU spanked CNU pitching for 31 runs and manhandled the Captains, a preseason pick to finish third in the conference.
Sophomore pitcher Taylor DuFrene worked out of an early inning jam and coasted to his third win of the young season with eight strong innings of work. DuFrene (3-0) scattered four hits, walked five, and struck out seven. He allowed one unearned run late and lowered his ERA on the season to an impressive
“It’s a team effort. I’m just doing what I have to do to keep the game close and then turn it over to the bullpen. That’s my job,” DuFrene said. “These are big wins. Everyone realizes it’s time to step up and put Shenandoah baseball on the map.”
After a one, two, three first inning, DuFrene got himself into trouble in the second when he walked the bases loaded. However, with one out, CNU catcher Michael Kurbjeweit grounded right back to DeFrene who started a home to first double play to get the Hornets out of the jam.
Shenandoah (8-2 overall, 2-1 USA South) broke the scoreless tie with a run in its half of the third inning. Left fielder Ryan Anderson ripped a two-out triple to the gap in right field and came home to score on a passed ball to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead.
The Hornets made it 2-0 in the fourth when centerfielder Scott Disch walked with the bases loaded. That scored Todd, who led off the inning with a single.
SU added two more runs in the fifth before completely blowing the game open with four more in the sixth. Captains starter Steven Mingee walked the first three batters he faced in the sixth before giving way to Chad Blanchard.
Hornets second baseman Daniel Ziccardy promptly greeted Blanchard with a double to right to score two more runs. David Jenkins and Anderson followed that up with back-to-back RBI singles to give SU an 8-0 lead.
Shenandoah continued the offensive onslaught with two more runs in both the seventh and eighth innings.
For the afternoon the Hornets rattled Captains pitching for 13 hits, with all but two starters picking up at least one. Todd and Jenkins led the way with three hits apiece. Anderson and Danny Bowers added two hits each. Bowers, Disch, and Anderson each scored two runs. Ziccardy, Disch and Jenkins had two RBIs each as well.
“This was a huge win. We lost a heartbreaker in the second game yesterday and they came out ready to get it done,” said Shenandoah coach Kevin Anderson, who on Saturday earned the 200th college coaching victory of his career. “I’m real happy with the players. Coaching is teaching a player how to make adjustments, but it’s up to the player, it’s on them. I give all the credit to our guys.”
The two teams spilt Saturday’s doubleheader. SU won the first 17-5 and CNU scored two unearned runs in the ninth to take the nightcap 4-2.
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