BRIDGEWATER, Va. - The No. 9 nationally ranked Bridgewater College baseball team swept Guilford in a pair of dominating wins at home Saturday afternoon. 

The Basics 

Game 1 score: No. 9 Bridgewater (BC) 11, Guilford (GC) 1 

Game 2 score: No. 9 Bridgewater (BC)  10, Guilford (GC) 3

Records: BC (26-6, 9-5), GC (14-17, 2-11) 

How It Happened 

Game 1 

• From pitching to hitting, BC covered all their bases. The offense jumped out to a steady start and carried the scoring for four straight innings. GC had no answer and drifted away from any threatening offensive rally. In the first inning, Chandler Valbak helped kick off the high-scoring performance with a drilled single to right field, bringing home Zack Chadwell.  

• The Eagles continued firing away with an additional run in the second frame as Trent Holland smacked a single through the infield to get Bryce Suters around to score for a 2-0 edge. BC then took hold of the momentum with a third consecutive run in three innings as Valbak followed up his first hit with a double to left field to knock in Suters.  

• BC pressed on the gas in the fourth inning, tallying three runs in the frame ignited by a scored run off a wild pitch. Jakson Walter pounded a single to left field to bring in Ashton Smith. Chadwell smoked a single to deep center field to ring in two runs by Nick Stavros and Jake Harris to mount an 8-0 advantage. 

• BC continued to carry the shutout through seven complete innings held down by Cam Nuckols. The Quakers avoided the shutout with a lone run in the eighth inning scored by a groundout to first base.  

• The run rule soon approached both squads, and the Eagles stormed ahead. In the eighth inning, Walter got Jake Harris to score off a fielding error which was followed by a sacrifice fly by Chadwell and an RBI single by Valbak to take the run-rule decision at 11-1. 

Game 2 

• Similar to the first game, the BC Eagles found an opening early and never let off the gas. Zack Chadwell and Bransen Hensley sliced a pair of RBI singles to knock in Nick Stavros and Jakson Walter for a quick 2-0 lead. 

• The Quakers attempted an immediate response in the second inning as a walk caused a run to score with bases loaded. Evan Bert got out of the jam and forced a ground out into a double play. 

• The offensive production did not waver for BC, as Trent Holland lit up the scoreboard with two more runs off a double. Jake Harris followed suit and knocked in Holland with a single to make the offensive push stand at 5-1. The offense carried on in the sixth inning as Ashton Smith smacked a no-doubter over the left-center field wall. Chandler Valbak applied more firepower with a two-run single, knocking in Walter and Stavros. 

• The Eagles remained active at the plate in the seventh for the final surge with a two-run frame. Chadwell barreled a single up the middle to score Stavros and Valbak ripped a single to bring home Walter for a commanding 10-1 advantage.

• The Quakers managed to keep the fight going with an additional two runs in the eighth and ninth inning after Evan Bert departed following a dominant performance on the mound. Andrew Baugher and Tanner Evans came in to relieve and slammed the door to claim the 10-3 victory for the Eagles.

Game Notes 

Game 1 

• Zack Chadwell and Chandler Valbak combined for six RBIs and five hits. 

• Each of the three errors for Guilford were capitalized on by a run scored for Bridgewater.  

• Cam Nuckols pitched seven full innings along with five strikeouts, four walks, and five hits for his sixth win of the season. 

Game 2 

• Chandler Valbak added three more RBIs in the second game of the doubleheader and went 3-for-5 at the plate. 

• Evan Bert shined on the mound, tossing a career-high 12 strikeouts on just one run. That marks Bert's sixth win of the season. 

• Ashton Smith recorded his ninth homer of the season, which currently leads all Bridgewater hitters.  

Up Next 

The Eagles are back in action on Tuesday, April 14 at home against Marymount. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.