Lynchburg, VA (4/28/06) -- Joe John's game-winning single in the bottom of the 11th inning gave Guilford a 5-4 win over Washington and Lee Friday in the first elimination game of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament. John's two-out hit off the City Stadium outfield wall extends the fifth-seeded Quakers' (24-17) life in the double-elimination tournament into Saturday when Guilford will play either Randolph-Macon or the loser of Friday night's Virginia Wesleyan-Hampden-Sydney contest.

Washington and Lee's Jeff Pharis retired the first two Guilford batters in the 11th inning before pinch-hitter Treiston Burnette reached on an error by shortstop Scott Gosselink. Chad Boone followed with a single through the left side and the runners advanced on a passed ball by catcher Jordan Wesley. Washington and Lee (18-15-1) intentionally walked Rob Bittner to load the bases and set up a force play at any base. John, the lone freshman in Guilford's starting lineup, responded with a single off the outfield wall to end the game. The hit marked his second game-winner in four games as his two-run single in the seventh broke a 3-3 tie and lifted Guilford to a 5-4 win at Virginia Wesleyan April 22.

David Mackenzie's two-out, two-run single in the top half of the ninth inning gave the Generals (18-15-1) a 4-3 lead after they trailed for most of the game. The Quakers kept their season alive in the bottom half of the inning on Bittner's two-out infield single that scored pinch-runner Terrance Penn from third base.

Guilford senior Mike Balash improved to 5-0 with the win. He threw two scoreless innings of relief and worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the 10th inning by inducing Wesley into an inning-ending ground ball double play groundout. Pharis (1-3) took the loss for Washington and Lee after yielding two runs, one earned, in 6.2 innings in relief of starter John Parker.

Bittner went 3-4 and plated three of the Quakers' runs, including two with a double in Guilford's three-run third inning. He took over sole possession of first place on Guilford's single-season RBIs list (54). John followed with a single that scored Bittner and gave the Quakers a 3-1 lead. John finished with two hits and two RBIs. Jeff Arzonico added three hits for the Quakers.

Washington and Lee banged out 16 hits, but left 19 runners on base. Richard Garland, Terrence McKelvey and Clayton Edwards had three hits apiece.