HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA (March 26, 2006)—Hampden-Sydney’s baseball team split a doubleheader with Old Dominion Athletic Conference foe Bridgewater College Sunday at Yank Bernier Field as the Tigers fell in game one, 8-5, before winning game two, 15-1.  The win for the Tigers (12-10/5-3 ODAC) snaps a five game losing streak and hands Bridgewater (14-5-1/6-1 ODAC) its first conference loss of the season. 

Game one of the series featured a back-and-forth battle showcasing both team’s number one starters in H-SC’s John Schoenholtz (Dhahran, Saudia Arabia/McCallie) and BC’s Ricky Read.  Bridgewater built a 5-0 lead thanks to a pair of Tiger errors and timely hitting by right fielder Bryan Saunders and left fielder Justin Showalter as the duo combined to drive in three of four runs in the fifth inning, Showalter’s on a two-run homer, to put the Eagles squarely out front. 

Hampden-Sydney rallied to cut the Eagle lead to two runs, 5-3, with a three-run fifth as sophomore shortstop Todd Harrell (Chesapeake, VA/Nansemond-Suffolk) drove in the first run of the inning with a single before senior center fielder Chris Padgett (Williamsburg, VA/Jamestown) drove in two more to keep the Tigers in the game.  Schoenholtz, making his first-ever DH/pitcher performance, delivered a two-run homer that cleared the left center fence to tie the game in the sixth inning. 

The Eagles came back to score three in the top of the seventh as Saunders and Showalter again drove in runs to give Bridgewater the 8-5 victory.  Schoenholtz took his second loss in-a-row on the hill as he allowed eight runs (three earned) on eight hits over six and one-third innings while striking out seven and walking none.  Read earned the win for the Eagles after working six innings and allowing five runs on eight hits while striking out six and walking two. 

In game two, the Tigers pounded out 15 hits en route to the 15-1 victory.  Chris Padgett and sophomore third baseman Josh Michael (Front Royal, VA/Warren County) each had three hits, while Padgett drove in a season-high four runs.  Meanwhile, Schoenholtz led a quartet of Tigers with two hits on the day as he added a double and triple to his resume’, while Jay Lilley (Chesapeake, VA/Western Branch), John Apperson (Lynchburg, VA/Heritage) and David Toney (Mechanicsville, VA/Lee Davis) each had two hits and two RBI. 

Bryan Saunders and Justin Showalter each had a pair of hits to lead the Eagles, who managed just one run on ten hits and stranded 10 base runners.  Tiger junior pitcher Larry Greene (Alexandria, VA/West Potomac) earned his third win of the year as he worked eight innings and gave up one run on ten hits while striking out five and walking three.  Nolan Shaffer took the loss for the Eagles after giving up five runs on six hits over two and two-thirds innings of work. 

Hampden-Sydney will look to start a winning streak Wednesday as the Tigers travel to Danville, VA, to take on Averett University at 3 pm.