CHARLOTTE COURT HOUSE, VA (March 9, 2006)—Hampden-Sydney’s baseball team jumped out to an early nine run lead en route to a 13-6 victory over Virginia Intermont College Thursday evening at Randolph-Henry High School.  The win marks the Tigers (7-4) seventh victory of the season in a charity contest played to benefit the Randolph-Henry baseball program. 

Tiger senior shortstop Jay Lilley (Chesapeake, VA/Western Branch) led the way at the plate for the Tigers as he recorded three hits and drove in three runs, while freshman first baseman Evan Rogers (Chester, VA/L.C. Bird) went 3-for-3 with a double, RBI and two runs scored in his first collegiate start.  Senior pitcher Jeff Martin (Richmond, VA/Meadowbrook) picked up the win as he worked the first four innings and allowed five runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking two.  Freshman Hall Toledano (Asheboro, NC/Asheboro) picked up the save after recording five strong innings in relief as he gave up just one run on six hits while striking out three batters. 

Hampden-Sydney raked six runs across the plate in the first inning as Jay Lilley drove in two with a bases juiced double, while Rogers and junior catcher Andrew Wall (Elizabethtown, NC/East Bladen) each had RBI singles.  The Tigers then tacked on three more in the third as Wall drove in his second run of the game, while senior leftfielder Luke Brankley (Onancock, VA/Nandua) collected an RBI to give H-SC the 9-0 advantage. 

Virginia Intermont answered with five runs of its own in the fourth inning as the Cobras loaded the bases and then proceeded to score on five singles as Nate and Jay Steel, Shawn Wright and Chad Nesteby each knocked in runs.  The Cobras then drew within three runs, 9-6, on a sixth inning solo homer by Wright that cleared the right centerfield fence. 

The Tigers put the game away with a pair of runs in the seventh and eighth as Lilley and Todd Harrell (Chesapeake, VA/Nansemond-Suffolk) each drove in another run to give Hampden-Sydney the seven run lead and seventh victory of its season. 

Cobra pitcher Joshua Orrick took the loss after allowing nine runs (five earned) on ten hits through four innings of work.  Orrick struck out three and walked two in the effort.  Meanwhile, Shawn Wright finished the game with two hits in four at-bats to go with the homer and two runs-driven-in. 

Hampden-Sydney’s diamond squad will return to action Saturday, March 11, as the Tigers host Old Dominion Athletic Conference-foe Roanoke College in a doubleheader starting at 12 pm at Yank Bernier Field.