The Pilots took down the Mustangs tonight by a score of 7-2 behind a great performance from the pitching staff. Jake Clemente (Florida) got the start and pitched three scoreless innings, only giving up one hit, striking out four.
Dalton Barham (Norfolk State) got an extended outing in relief and was outstanding. The lefty went 4.1 innings, giving up no earned runs, no hits, and striking out six. Nick Willard (Liberty) threw a clean ninth for the Pilots, striking out one and putting a button on the game.
Barham White (Louisiana Monroe) was the hitter of the night for the Pilots. The catcher went 3-4 from the plate with a solo home run in the eighth inning.
Mason Dunaway (James Madison) continued his amazing stretch tonight, going 2-4 with a walk and an RBI. He has nine hits in his last three games, going 9-12 over that stretch. Hunter Cole (Randolph Macon) also had a multi-hit night for the Pilots.
Martinsville made three errors in the first inning, and the Pilots took advantage. Justin Starke (VMI) opened the scoring, hitting a sacrifice fly to bring in Hunter Cole (Randolph Macon). Another error and a wild pitch allowed two more runs to score, and Ethan Ott put a bow on the inning, blasting a two-run homer over the left field wall. Just like that, the Pilots had jumped out to a 5-0 lead for the second night in a row.
Mason Dunaway continued his ridiculous stretch, hitting an RBI single in the bottom of the second.
An error put across a run in the top of the seventh for the Mustangs, and they threatened to add to it with runners on first and second with one out. Justin Starke ended that, making a tough catch at first base and throwing out the runner trying to get to third to end the inning.
Barham White got the statement run in the bottom of the eighth, hitting a towering homer to left center field.
The Pilots are on the road tomorrow for a double-header against Tri-City.