SALEM, Va. – The Guilford College baseball team (21-14, 8-12 ODAC) finished on the wrong end of an 11-7 decision in Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) play to Roanoke College (19-16-1, 11-8-1 ODAC) at Carilion Clinic Field at the Salem-Memorial Ballpark on Tuesday evening.

Despite the result, the Quakers saw their magic number to clinch a playoff spot fall to one over four ODAC foes; Eastern Mennonite University, Ferrum College, Virginia Wesleyan University, and Washington & Lee University, due to other results around the conference. It dropped to that figure thanks to Bridgewater College handling the Generals and Averett University blitzing the Panthers.

Making his final scheduled start of a quality spring, Tanner Royals (High Point, N.C.) had a tumultuous outing, starting well, but having more trouble the second time through the Maroon lineup. He completed 5.0 innings allowing five runs, four earned, on eight hits and two HBPs, fanning a pair and suffering the defeat to fall to 3-2.

Getting the midweek start, GC made Finn Lamb work as he only lasted 3.0 innings and allowed three runs on four hits and three walks without a K in the book in the no decision. Nick Capps upped his record to 2-1 in relief, throwing 2.0 scoreless frames with a hit and a walk.

Rylan Smith (Archdale, N.C.) was the lone Quaker with multiple hits in this one, doubling twice and getting intentionally walked once on a 2-of-3 night. Devin Tonkins (Greensboro, N.C.) also connected on a two-bagger and added a walk, driving in one and scoring once. Reaching three different ways and stealing two bases, Ryne Rodrigues (Summerfield, N.C.) singled, walked, got hit by a pitch and scored twice while Carter Blum (McLeansville, N.C.) also crossed the plate on two occasions. Skyler Dark (Pleasant Garden, N.C.) tripled in a pair of runs and scored for GC.

Five players had multiple hits for the hosts, but it was Parker Stallard who was the most troublesome on this evening as he was not retired, finishing 3-of-3, including a triple with a walk, HBP, two runs scored, and two RBI. Tyler Galloway went 2-of-5 with a run scored and two driven in. Hayden Giordano drove in two and scored twice in a 2-of-5 night while Corey Coogan finished 2-for-4 and drove in two as well for Roanoke.

Nothing came of a two-out double in the first for Guilford before Rodrigues singled, stole a base, advanced on an error, but then got thrown out at the plate trying to score on a sacrifice fly in the second. They would successfully open the scoring in the third, however, as Blum and Tonkins did their jobs, turning the lineup over with an infield hit and a walk respectively. The 2024 ODAC leader in triples, Dark came through with his fourth of this season, scoring both the runners before he jogged home on a passed ball a few pitches later. GC threatened for more, but still were pleased after securing a 3-0 lead.

Roanoke responded with a two-out rally as Nate Prince got hit by a pitch and Kyle Moshier singled. Stallard then duplicated Dark's feat with a two-run triple of his own, but he was left there. Their go-ahead inning came in the fourth, however, as Giordano reached on an infield hit, and Liam Murphy doubled to score him from first. Danny Ferguson hit a single but an error on the play allowed him to advance and Murphy to score. It hurt more when Coogan singled up the middle to bring the run home and while that is all the Maroons got, they had claimed the lead, 5-3.

After getting quieted for a couple innings by Capps, the Quaker offense enjoyed better success against the second RC reliever, Thomas Burgess. Rodrigues got hit by a pitch, stole his second base of the game, then came in on a single by Grayson Tudor (Reidsville, N.C.) to make it a one-run game. They then got the tying run to second with one out in the seventh but could not get it in before the hosts blew the game open.

On the other side of the stretch for Roanoke, Moshier drew a leadoff walk before three-straight singles, with a wild pitch mixed in to score two runs. A productive groundout then a sacrifice fly and a single accounted for two more runs driven in as the Maroons opened up a 9-4 lead.

Rodrigues opened the eighth with a hit then Blum reached on an error two batters later. Tonkins drove in Rodrigues with a double with Blum also coming home due to an error on the play, cutting the deficit, but RC countered with a Galloway RBI-double and Giordano sacrifice fly. The Quakers scored a single run in the ninth as a handful of reserves got trips to the plate and Aidan McCandless (Burlington, N.C.) brought in Jackson Shaner (Moncure, N.C.) to make the final score 11-7.

Guilford will partake in their final nonconference and mid-week matchup of the season when they head up to play Southern Virginia University in Buena Vista tomorrow, Wednesday, April 23^rd beginning at 2:00 PM.

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