BRIDGEWATER, Va. - The No. 14 nationally ranked Bridgewater College baseball team took down Va. Wesleyan in both games in the twin bill at home Saturday with an 8-1 win in the first game and a 6-5 win in the second game.  

The Basics 

Game 1 score: Bridgewater (BC) 8, Va. Wesleyan (VWU) 1 

Game 2 score: Bridgewater (BC) 6, Va. Wesleyan (VWU) 5 

Records: BC (17-3, 2-3), VWU (10-10, 2-5) 

How It Happened 

Game 1 

• The Eagles broke the score open first and continued to press confidently. The Marlins were left searching for answers offensively. In the first inning, Zack Chadwell rang up the first run with an RBI single to score Nick Stavros. Jakson Walter then followed with a fielder's choice, bringing home Bransen Hensley on the play for the 2-0 opening lead. 

• In the third inning, VWU knocked in its first and only run of the day as a run scored on a wild pitch. The Eagles pushed the score to 3-1 after the fourth inning with an RBI triple by Nick Stavros. From there, the Eagles separated comfortably. 

• More offensive power was delivered by the Eagles. In the sixth inning, Bransen Hensley laced a single through the left side to score in Bryce Suters for a 4-1 advantage. Then, to close out the game in confident margins, the Eagles racked up four additional runs. Jake Harris lasered a two-run single down the right-field line to score Walter and Trent Holland. Suters scored after off a wild pitch and Stavros executed a sacrifice fly to perfection to send home Jake Harris for the 8-1 ledger. The Marlins were unable to respond against the shut-down pitching outing from Cam Nuckols, Matthew Bishop, Gary Tompkins, and Hunter Covill. The Eagles claimed the first win of the doubleheader. 

Game 2 

• Although VWU got the opening start to the lead, BC found its opening to soar,  responding with a hot offensive streak. The Eagles pulled away with five combined runs through three straight innings. Chandler Valbak got Jake Harris to come around to score with an infield error, and the Eagles soon settled in. Bransen Hensley executed the sacrifice fly to knock in Valbak for the 2-1 lead. Bryce Suters then ripped a two-run long ball to add to the offensive display.  

• With a walk to Chadwell, Jake Harris touched home plate for the fifth run on the day. The Marlins fought through their offensive disconnect to ring up their second run in the fifth inning off an RBI single.  

• Suters remained active at the plate, ripping an RBI single down the middle to score Jakson Walter for the 6-2 edge.   

• VWU attempted a late-game rally in the ninth with three clutch runs, but Andrew Baugher helped the Eagles get out of the jam to strand the game-tying run on second base as the Eagles closed out the second game with a 6-5 win.  
   

Game Notes 

Game 1 

• Bridgewater had the hot bat in the first matchup with 11 hits to Va. Wesleyan's three, respectively. 

• Nick Stavros led the batting lineup effectively with two hits, one run scored, two RBIs, and one walk. 

• Cam Nuckols earned the win for his fourth win of the season, going six innings pitched on three hits, one run, three walks, and two strikeouts. 

Game 2 

• Bryce Suters led the Eagles at the plate with the game-high of three RBIs. Suters recorded his fourth home run of the season. 

• Andrew Baugher earned the Eagles a save for the first save of the season.  

• Evan Bert marked his fifth win of the season pitching seven full innings on six hits, two earned runs, two walks, and six strikeouts. 

Up Next 

The Eagles are back in action on Tuesday, March 24 to take on nationally ranked Shenandoah on the road at 3 p.m.