The Guilford College baseball team resumed conference play with a doubleheader against the Virginia Wesleyan University Marlins. The Quakers fell in game one, 14-5, before tying in game two, 5-5.

Game 1: Va. Wesleyan 14, Guilford 5

Virginia Wesleyan opened the scoring in the first with a hit by pitch and walk with the bases loaded. Trailing by two, Guilford cut the deficit in its half of the first. Rylan Smith doubled to right field that allowed Michael Sumner to score.

In the second, the Marlins expanded upon their lead with an RBI single and two RBI double to go ahead 5-1. The visitors added to it in the third with a triple to right center.

Trailing 6-1, Colin Smith plated the next Quaker run as Isaiah Hairston scored from second. VWU scored once more in the fourth but it was Guilford who took control of the momentum in the fifth.

The first fun scored was Sumner on a Hairston sacrifice fly to center field. The next at-bat, Rylan Smith homered to straight away center. Chase Wade pushed across the final run on a ground ball that moved GC within two (7-5).

Unfortunately, the home squad was unable to add another run as the Marlins scored two in the sixth before sealing the win with five runs in the ninth.

Game 2: Guilford 5, Va. Wesleyan 5 (8 Inn.)

Similar to game one, it was the visitors who scored first, this time on a sacrifice fly to center for the 1-0 edge. Guilford quickly responded when Rylan Smith singled to left center to bring home Michael Sumner.

Both pitchers began to find their rhythm as neither team scored until the bottom of the fourth. With two outs and runners on first and second, Hayes Henderson lifted ball the left field. On the play, the outfielder misplayed the ball allowing Henderson to reach while Allden Horne scored to break the tie.

Now racing against the setting the sun, both teams began to pick up the action. In the top of the fifth, Virginia Wesleyan scored two runs on a single and a double to capture the 3-2 advantage.

The Quakers looked to respond in its half of the fifth and did just that. Horne drove a ball over the left field wall for a three-run homer and to give GC the lead once more, 5-3.

Neither squad scored in the sixth and seventh innings and with fading light, it looked to come down to the eighth.

After a one-out single, the Marlin hitter drove a ball into the right center gap. As the runner on first was sliding into third base, the throw from the outfield took a bad hop and found its way into the visitor dugout. This allowed the runners to advance a base and make it a one-run game, 5-4.

The next batter went down on strikes but during the next at-bat, a wild pitch skipped to the backstop and allowed the runner to score from third and tie the game at five. 

Going to the bottom half of the inning, Guilford essentially looked to walk it off. With two walks and two outs, a failed pickoff attempt saw the Quaker base runners move to second and third. Unfortunately, they were stranded there as the inning came to an end on a ground out.

At this point, the umpire crew met with both head coaches at home plate and called the game due to darkness.

In game two, Marcello Ricigliano started on the mound and threw 7.1 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts. Over the two games, Rylan Smith led the hitting attack going 5-9 with three RBI and scoring once.

Guilford is set to entertain Methodist University on Tuesday, March 14. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m.