Hornets can still reach title game

CHRIS HUMPHREYS

Published: May 16, 2008

DANVILLE — Lynchburg College took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning against the NCAA Division III South Region top-seed Salisbury (41-3), but the Gulls erupted for five runs in the inning to snatch a 5-3 victory from Hornets (32-12) and stay alive in the double-elimination baseball tournament at Dan Daniels Park.
Salisbury (41-3) advance to the championship at 4 p.m. LC (32-12) will play Johns Hopkins, which defeated Piedmont College 13-6 earlier in the day. The winner of the first game will play Salisbury in a championship game.
“We just have to take them one game at time,” Hornets coach Percy Abell said. “We’ve played really well to get to this point and we have a good opportunity (this) morning.”
Salisbury starting pitcher Jeff Feigl went the distance to the Gulls. He allowed five hits, two walks, three earned runs and struck out eight batters.
Feigl settled down after a rocky first inning when LC scored two runs on three hits. Cameron Grant (Heritage) led off with a single. Kyle Bradley (William Campbell) sacrificed him to second and he scored on two-out single to center by Jon Crews (Heritage). Crews took second on the throw home and scored on Jeff Taylor’s single.
But, that was all Feigl would allow until the ninth inning. The only LC hitter to reach base safely during that stretch was Ryan Litz (Jefferson Forest) on a two-out walk. Feigl had retired 11 consecutive batters after Taylor’s first inning single and he retired 10 consecutive batters after Litz’s walk.
The Hornets’ starting pitcher Connor Thompson worked seven scoreless innings to start the game but gave up four runs on three hits and walk in the eighth. The big hit was by Mike Celenza. Celenza plated three runs with a double to right center.
Jared Millner (Jefferson Forest) relieved Thompson at that point and gave up two more runs on an RBI-double by Mark Bostwick and an RBI-single by Will Evans.
Thompson allowed four earned runs on 10 hits, a walk and struck out six. Millner pitched two innings and allowed a run on two hits. He struck out two batters.
“Connor pitched one heck of a ball game,” Abell said. “He threw a great game up to that point. They had some good hits on him.”
LC rallied for a run in the top of the ninth when Grant led off with a triple and scored on Crews’ single but it was too little too late.
“Feigl threw a heck of ball game,” Abell said. “He really located well and stayed ahead of our hitters.”