BRIDGEWATER, Va. – The Guilford College baseball team (14-17, 3-11 ODAC) was defeated in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) doubleheader, 11-1 in eight innings then 10-3 by No. 9 nationally ranked Bridgewater College (26-6, 9-5 ODAC) at the Bridgewater Baseball Field on Saturday afternoon.

Tanner Royals (High Point, N.C.) did not have his best stuff on this day, lasting 6.0 innings allowing 11 hits and two walks leading to eight runs, although only four earned against six Ks. He factored into the decision for just the second time this spring, taking the loss to fall to 0-2. Cam Nuckols dominated for the Eagles, going 7.0 shutout frames allowing just five hits and four walks against five strikeouts to up his season mark to 6-0.

There was not much offense to be found on Guilford's side of the box score in game one, with Rylan Smith (Archdale, N.C.) scoring the lone run, driven in by Trevor Myers (Eastampton, N.J.). Skyler Dark (Pleasant Garden, N.C.) reached twice on a hit and a walk, Dominic Pegues (Raleigh, N.C.) was the only Quaker with multiple hits, finishing 2-4 while Christian Chinen (Honolulu, Hawaii) had the lone extra-base knock, a double, alongside a walk and a sacrifice.

Zack Chadwell and Chandler Valbak did a lot of the heavy lifting for the Bridgewater offense. Chadwell went 2-3 with a double and a walk, scoring twice and driving in three while Valbak equaled his RBI total, going 3-5 with a double. Bryce Suters doubled twice and scored twice and Trent Holland finished 2-4 with a walk, scoring one run and driving in a pair.

In game two, Jonathan Sendziak (McLeansville, N.C.) got the ball for GC, lasting just 5.0 frames while permitting five runs, all earned, on nine hits and two walks, striking out four and falling to 0-5. Evan Bert fanned a dozen Quakers over 6.0 innings in the late game for the Eagles, allowing just one run on four hits and four walks to improve to 6-2.

Freshman Grayson Hobson (Quinton, Va.) stood out in the second game for Guilford, collecting a trio of hits and an RBI. Ryne Rodrigues (Summerfield, N.C.) also had a pair of hits. Dawson Kirkland (Clermont, Fla.), Trae Pitts (Land O' Lakes, Fla.), and Myers scored the trio of runs for GC in game two with CJ Buchan (Williamsburg, Va.) also picking up an RBI.

For the hosts, Valbak picked up another three RBIs in a 3-5 and Caldwell drove in two other tallies. Nick Stavros and Jakson Walter each scored thrice with Stravos taking three walks. Holland had another double with two RBI and Ashton Smith homered for BC.

GAME 1
The Eagles would open the scoring on this day, as preseason All-American Zack Chadwell bashed a 2-1 pitch for a two-out double and Chandler Valbak picked him with a single, and while he was thrown out at second, the run scored first to claim the lead and that was the beginning of a picket fence for the hosts. In the second, Bryce Suters roped a double, took third on a passed ball and scored on a Trent Holland single through the right side of the infield. Finally in the third, Chadwell and Valbak linked up again with two away, this time with Chadwell taking a free pass and coming all the way in on a Valbak double, although again, he was thrown out trying to stretch it, but the Eagles were up 3-0 at the end of three.

The hosts really opened things up in the fourth. Sutters and Holland connected on consecutive doubles to score one run before an errand throw on a pickoff try advanced the runner. Tanner Royals (High Point, N.C.) picked up his second K of the inning and fourth of the game to get an out away from halting the threat, but it would evade him. A wild pitch allowed Smith to score before a walk and a couple of hits produced another Eagle run as they doubled their advantage, now up to six runs.

Things did settle some the rest of the way, Caldwell flipped to the driving in side of scoring as opposed to crossing the plate himself, plating a pair of unearned runs with a single in the sixth. GC finally got on the board in the eighth thanks to a Rylan Smith (Archdale, N.C.) walk followed by a passed ball and a couple of productive groundouts by Gavin Fleming (Gibsonville, N.C.) and Trevor Myers (Eastampton, N.J.), but that is all they would muster because Bridgewater wrapped things up in the bottom half. Now with Izaac McGuire (Wilkesboro, N.C.) on the hill, the hosts loaded the bases with a couple hit batsmen on either side of a walk. An error allowed one run to come home, then Caldwell plated another with a sacrifice, and Valbak hit the "walk-off", activating the run rule at an 11-1 score in eight innings.

GAME 2
Bridgewater's preseason All-Americans set the tone again in game two as Nick Stavros battled Jonathan Sendziak (McLeansville, N.C.) to a full count and a walk, then Jakson Walter and Zack Chadwell singled to produce a run. Bransen Hensley drove in another a couple batters later and BC claimed the lead early again.

Guilford did have an answer this time, as Trevor Myers (Eastampton, N.J.) walked, Grayson Hobson (Quinton, Va.) singled, and Jackson Shaner (Pittsboro, N.C.) also drew a free pass. Trae Pitts (Land O' Lakes, Fla.) drew the third Quaker walk of the frame, forcing in a run, but unfortunately a double play silenced the rally and the GC offense went silent from there.

The Eagles extended the lead with a Trent Holland two-run double and a Jake Harris RBI hit in the third before truly blowing the game open in the sixth. With one out, Ashton Smith's ninth homer of the season set the tone before BC loaded the bases with a couple of walks on either side of a bunt hit all against John Yarnovich (Summerfield, N.C.). Valbek ended the freshman's outing with a two-run single before Stratton Barwick (Siler City, N.C.) came on and escaped the jam. BC then extended their run to eight-unanswered runs on Chadwell and Valbek RBI hits in the seventh.  

Unloading their bench, the Quakers did get a couple in the late innings. In the eighth, Ryne Rodrigues (Summerfield, N.C.) singled and was run for by Dawson Kirkland (Clermont, Fla.). Kirkland got to third when Myers reached on an error then Hobson drove him in with a hit. Then in the ninth, Pitts' third walk preceded a Connor Griffin (Fort Mill, S.C.) free pass and the first-two outs but CJ Buchan (Williamsburg, Va.) reached as a run scored, as the tallies finalized at 10-3.

Guilford is back to McBane Field for their final week of play in Greensboro next, opening it up with their final nonconference game in the friendly confines against Johnson & Wales University- Charlotte. That game will be played on Tuesday, April 14^th at 3:00 PM.

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