Elizabethtown College had the opportunity to face off against the seventh ranked team, according to DIIIBaseball.com, the Shenandoah University Hornets. The Blue Jays were coming off a tough 11-0 loss in seven innings to Widener a day before and were looking for a victory against a difficult non-conference opponent. Shenandoah needed to do what they have done all season, securing a victory against an unranked opponent, which had been proven to be difficult after getting swept by Roanoke University a few days prior to the matchup.
Sophomore Lucas Schieb set the tone early for the Blue Jays, pitching extremely efficiently and shutting down the Hornets in the first through the third innings. Shenandoah was left hitless through the first three innings, as Schieb kept the high scoring Hornets at bay with his pitch count remaining low. Etown’s offense got hot in the third inning, with senior third baseman Alex McClain knocking in the first run of the game as senior second baseman Alex Perrin came home from third base. With the bases still loaded, sophomore first baseman AJ Lipscomb hit a single into center field, scoring both senior outfielder Mason Woolwine and sophomore outfielder Nick Fiorini from third and second respectively. The Hornets finally had their opportunity in the fourth inning after a leadoff double put their first base runner in scoring position where a sacrifice fly reduced their deficit to two runs. Shenandoah proceeded to tie the game in the top of the fifth inning, with two more hits scoring two runs, bringing the score to 3-3.
Etown brought their hot bats into the bottom of the fifth inning, rallying to score six runs. The inning started off with McClain hitting a home run barely over the fence, squeezing into fair territory of the right field foul pole, and rounding the bases for home run number seven for him on the season. Perrin continued to rally the Blue Jays, scoring first-year outfielder Parker Summers and Lipscomb after the bases were loaded. Woolwine hit a frozen rope into the outfield, scoring sophomore designated hitter Nate Moser from third base and Perrin from first base, clearing the bases. Fiorini finished the inning with an RBI, scoring Woolwine from second after adding a single. Shenandoah scored another run in the seventh inning, after senior shortstop David Woolley decided to make the force at first instead of attempting to make a play at home. Sophomore pitcher Caeden Schulte came into the game in the eighth inning, where he loaded the bases after a hit by pitch and two walks. Etown got out of the jam with a 4-6-3 double play, firing up the dugout and giving the Blue Jays enough momentum to secure the 9-4 victory.
Woolwine led the Blue Jays, batting 2-for-2 with three walks, two runs and two RBIs. McClain hit his seventh home run of the season, batting 3-for-5 in the afternoon. Perrin started the game with three singles and finished 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs. Etown moves to 23-13 on the season as they head into the final home series of the season on April 25 and 26 for senior day against Moravian. Etown will play their final game of the season against Lebanon Valley College on April 28 and will face off in the Landmark Conference playoffs on May 8-10.
