Dhramapitaksook's doubles help Marlins to a split at Bridgewater
March 21, 2008
BRIDGEWATER, Va. -- Senior Ozz Dhramapitaksook (Springfield, Va./Lake Braddock) belted two doubles and a single in four times at bat and drove in three runs Friday to help spark Virginia Wesleyan College's baseball Marlins to an 8-6 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) victory at Bridgewater College.
Junior C.J. Rhodes (Williamsburg, Va./Lafayette) added a triple in a nine-hit offense for the Marlins (14-8-1, 5-3), who snapped a four-game losing skid with the victory. Bridgewater (11-8-1, 4-3) was part of that skid as the Eagles posted a 5-1 decision in the first game of the twinbill.
Virginia Wesleyan did not score until the final inning in that first game, but came back strong in the second outing to take the lead with two runs in the top of the first. The Marlins never trailed, expanding the lead to 4-0 in the top of the fourth, helped by an RBI-double from Dhramapitaksook to score Rhodes, who singled earlier. Virginia Wesleyan moved out to a 6-0 advantage in the top of the sixth with two more runs as Dhramapitaksook doubled again, scoring sophomore Mike Marion (Springfield, Va./Alexandria Hayfield), who drew a walk, and Rhodes, who singled.
Bridgewater closed the gap however, scoring five runs over the next two innings, only to see VWC pull away again in the top of the ninth. Senior Brian Schweers (Perryville, Md./Perryville) singled to lead off the inning and junior Phil Cadle (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) reached on an Eagle error. A throwing error scored Schweers and Cadle tallied minutes later when rookie Gary Bulman (Chesapeake, Va./Greenbrier Christian) hit into a fielder's choice.
The host Eagles answered with a run in the bottom of the inning on three singles, but saw hopes for any comeback snuffed out by a game-ending double play.
Bulman improved to 5-0 on the mound for Virginia Wesleyan after throwing in seven innings. He gave up five hits, a walk, and two earned runs, and struck out one batter. Seniors Brett Horowitz (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) and Chris Deanes (Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne) followed in relief, as did sophomore Nick Wilson (Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside). Alex Foltz (2-3) took the loss.
Junior Brandon Hathaway (Williamsburg, Va./Jamestown) was one of six Marlins to record a hit in the game and one of four to connect in both games. Hathaway singled in each contest to extend a team-leading hitting streak to 12. Sadin, Marion, and Dhramapitaksook also recorded hits in both contests.
VWC outhit Bridgewater 7-6 in the first game, but could not find the back-to-back hits to put the runs on the scoreboard. Bridgewater took the lead with a four-run second inning, as the Eagles helped themselves with four hits, including an RBI double from Kevin Kirk. The Eagles tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth on a Mitchell Edwards solo home run. Virginia Wesleyan averted the shutout in the top of the seventh when Rhodes was hit by a pitch in a bases-loaded situation with two outs.
Nolan Shaffer (4-1) picked up the pitching victory for the Eagles, while senior Jesse Freeman (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem) took the loss. Freeman worked two innings, striking out three and giving up four hits, a walk, and four earned runs, before senior Shawn Polke (Oxford, Conn./St. Joseph) stepped in to finish. Polke struck out three batters and gave up two hits, a walk and one earned run.
Sadin belted out two singles for the Marlins, who left nine runners stranded in the game.
Virginia Wesleyan competes again on Monday, Mar. 24, hosting the Jumbos of Tufts University in a non-conference game beginning at 11 a.m.
--VWC--