GREENSBORO, N.C. – The arms looked sharp, but the gloves behind them did not for the Guilford College baseball team (0-2, 0-0 ODAC), as they permitted seven unearned runs in a 12-1 home-opening loss to (RV) Lycoming College (1-0, 0-0 Landmark) at Edgar H. McBane Field on Friday afternoon.

The trio of Tanner Royals (High Point, N.C.), Stratton Barwick (Siler City, N.C.), and Reilan Vickrey (Greensboro, N.C.) were significantly better than the final score would indicate, going the first eight innings, combining to allow 11 hits and two walks but just a single earned run. Unfortunately, a bevvy of "E's" in the scorebook resulted in the trio allowing six unearned tallies in the game. Getting the ball to start, Royals went the first 3.2 frames allowing a quartet of unearned runs on seven hits, two walks, and a HBP, fanning a pair to take the tough-luck defeat and drop to 0-1.

Alex Halbert got the ball on opening day for the Warriors tossing 4.0 shutout innings, allowing just a single hit and two walks, while striking out two, but he did not qualify for the win. Instead, first reliever, Jake Wilber, got the victory, improving to 1-0 after matching Halbert's innings total, allowing a run on six hits, a walk, and four K's.

Connor Griffin (Fort Mill, S.C.) impressed in his collegiate debut, collecting a trio of singles and four at-bats. Skyler Dark (Pleasant Garden, N.C.) was the only other Quaker with multiple hits, connecting on a pair of opposite-field doubles plus a free pass in the game. Chris Shoemaker (Winston-Salem, N.C.) doubled and scored, getting driven in by Ethan George (Burlington, N.C.), who finished 1-for-3 with a walk.  

A.J. Lorente led the LC offense, finishing 3-of-6 with a double, two runs scored and two driven in. Josh Bottger also went 3-for-6 with a two-bagger and two RBIs, only scoring once himself. Eric MacCluen also had a trio of hits, scoring twice.  

After an infield hit started the ballgame, followed by a steal and a sac bunt, Royals avoided damage by stabbing a comebacker then starting and finishing a rundown as the Warriors had contact play on offensively. There was a bit of a delay as the junior got a stinger on the tag, but he would remain in the game, showing no ill-effects.

Nothing came of a Dark double in the home half of the first before the guests took the lead in the second when MacCluen singled and swiped second, Anthony Guzman reached on a fielding error then took second on a throwing one and Bottger drove in the game's initial run by legging out an infield hit. Following a sacrifice bunt, another error allowed a run to score and the inning to remain alive and Sean Perkins and Llorente took advantage of the chance with RBI singles, as GC handed their guests essentially five outs and ultimately trailed 4-0.

Royals navigated traffic the next frame before Barwick relieved him and got out of a tight spot in the fourth but the southpaw permitted an unearned tally in the fifth allowing a single then hitting a man, getting the next-two out on K's but then another error allowed another run to cross the plate. Then in the sixth the Warriors finally strung together an earned run on a single, a couple of productive outs and a two-out run-scoring knock by Nick Hoheb.

The Quakers got on the board in the home half of the sixth when Shoemaker split the gap and George brought him home with a single, but it could have been more if not for a killer double play earlier in the inning. Ultimately, it was all for not as LC got another unearned run in the seventh then a put up a crooked number in the ninth to finish the 12-1 score.

Guilford hits the diamond for a pair against the Warriors tomorrow, Saturday, February 14^th, with first pitch of game one at 11:00 AM at McBane Field.

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