Phoenixville, PA – A dominant first game performance and come from behind rally to force extra innings in game two, highlighted a day that saw the Regent University Baseball team earn its first win in program history. In the doubleheader split, the Royals scored 26 runs and recorded 28 hits, to go along with 4 home runs, while the pitching staff combined for 15 total strikeouts
Game One (Win 18-1)
Regent jumped out early in the first inning, as Sophomore Maddox German (Fairfax, VA) hit a two-run homer, driving in Freshman Jordan Hunt (Virginia Beach, VA) and a few batters later, Junior Jayden Alvarez (Newport News, VA) delivered a single driving in two more runs to increase lead to 4-0. The offense gave Senior Will Maloney (Midlothian, VA) a cushion to work with as he struck out four Patriot batters over the next three innings. On his second at-bat of the game, German delivered a double and then scored on a double by Freshman Colton Sandiford (Seaford, VA) to increase the advantage to five runs. Eventually, Sandiford would score, as well, when Junior Ben Tweedy (Altavista, VA) singled and then that was followed by a two-run blast from Junior Ethan Loucks (Montpelier, VA) to put the Royals ahead 8-0. German would add two more runs on a double and then Sandiford sent another over the outfield fence, followed by RBI hits from Freshman Nathan Vaughan (Mechanicsville, VA) and Hunt and a two-run homer by Freshman Dylan Oblepias (Katy, TX), which is all Maloney needed to give Regent their first ever program win as they defeated Valley Forge by a final score of 18-1.
German (3-5, 5 RBI's, 2 Doubles and a HR) and Sandiford (3-4, 2 RBI's 2 Doubles and a HR), as Loucks and Oblepias each added home runs. As a team, the Royals stole 5 bases and, on the mound, Maloney earned the win pitching all 7 innings, giving up only 1 run, while recording 11 strike outs.
Game Two (Loss 9-8, extra innings)
The Royals got on the board first in the top of the third inning when German hit a sacrifice fly to score Freshman James Blotter (Newport News, VA) and that was followed by an Oblepias RBI single, scoring Vaughan for the early lead, 2-0. They would add another run in the fourth inning when Loucks drove in Alvarez from second base. However, the Patriots battled back to eventually go out in front, 7-3. It would stay that way until the top of the seventh inning when German scored two with a double and then an error scored both German and Hunt to tie the score 7-7. In the top of the eighth inning, German was back at the plate and this time doubled in the go ahead run but it was not enough as Regent would fall by a final score of 9-8.
German finished the game 3-4 with 4 RBI's and 2 doubles, while Blotter went 2-3 with a double. In addition, Vaughan and Alvarez each recorded 2 hits in the game.
The Royals will be back in action on Tuesday, March 3rd when they travel to Harrisonburg to face Eastern Mennonite University. First pitch is set for 3:00pm.
