Region roundup: St. John's routs Liberty baseball in series opener

Liberty’s only runs came in the ninth when D.J. Artis was hit by a pitch and Tre Todd drew a bases-loaded walk.

The Flames (26-18) were outhit 16-4.

Starter Garret Price (6-3) took the loss, giving up eight runs, all earned, in 2 1/3 innings.

Roanoke 10-10, Lynchburg 1-4

In Salem, the Maroons swept Lynchburg in a doubleheader, taking the first two games of the best-of-three series to end the Hornets’ season in the first round of the ODAC tournament.

In Game 1, Lynchburg struck first in the fourth but managed just four total hits and couldn’t score again. Roanoke tallied 14 hits, including eight in the fourth and fifth that resulted in nine runs.

Will Harris was 1 for 4 with a double to lead LC, while Gavin Kandrick went 3 for 4 with two RBIs for Roanoke.

Hunter Campbell (0-6) took the loss for LC, giving up three runs (all earned) on five hits.

In Game 2, Roanoke went ahead 4-0 after the second and never looked back.

The Hornets managed one run in the third and added three in the seventh to pull within 7-3, but Roanoke put the game away with three runs in the eighth.

Roanoke outhit Lynchburg 14-9 and had a double, three triples and a home run.

Austin Keesee went 2 for 5 with a double and RBI to lead Lynchburg.

SOFTBALL

Liberty 4-9, Winthrop 1-0

The host Flames stretched their win streak to 13 games Friday, sweeping a doubleheader against Winthrop.

In Game 1, Liberty (43-12, 17-3 Big South) responded to Morgan Lowers’ solo homer in the second with four unanswered runs over the next four innings.

Amber Bishop (2 for 3) hit her 11th homer of the season in the fifth on a two-run shot to left-center field, and Autumn Bishop (2 for 4) had two doubles, setting a new program mark with 23. She stretched that mark to 24 with a double in Game 2.

Julia DiMartino (24-7) picked up her 63rd career win in Game 1, moving into first place in the program record books. She allowed one run on seven hits and struck out five.

In Game 2, Liberty used six extra-base hits to blow past Winthrop (17-29, 7-13).

Sarah Robertson (3 for 3, two doubles) and McFarland (2 for 2, triple) each had three RBIs for Liberty.

Chase Cassady (10-2) picked up the win, allowing two hits and striking out three in five innings.

The Flames need to defeat the Eagles in today’s regular-season finale to secure the No. 1 seed for next week’s Big South tournament held at Radford.

MEN’S LACROSSE

Lynchburg 11, Washington and Lee 8

Fourth-seeded Lynchburg used a big fourth quarter to come from behind and beat the top-seeded and host Generals in ODAC tournament semifinals Friday.

Until the clock hit 6:33 in the final period, the Hornets had led for just seven minutes. Kevin Rogers, on an assist from Evan Lombardo, scored about two minutes in on a man-up situation for Lynchburg, but W&L scored the next four goals and went into halftime with a two-goal lead.

The Hornets kept the game close, though, twice tying the Generals, ranked 12th nationally, in the fourth quarter before scoring the game’s final four goals for the win.

Colin McGuire and Trammel Robinson each had three goals for LC, which also got 19 saves from CJ Santora, and A.J. Witherell led W&L with two goals.

Lynchburg advances to the tourney championship, where they’ll take on third-seeded Roanoke today.

Roanoke beat No. 6 Bridgewater and No. 2 Hampden-Sydney on its road to the title game. The Maroons won the regular-season meeting with Lynchburg in March, 13-11.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Winthrop 16, Liberty 10

In High Point, North Carolina, Winthrop outscored Liberty 6-2 over the final 10 minutes of the first half, and the Flames couldn’t climb back, ending their season with a loss in the Big South Conference semifinals.

Winthrop (14-5) got seven goals from Nicole Beatson, while Carly White and Miachaela Rich had three goals apiece for Liberty (13-5). The Eagles converted half of their shots on goal (16 for 32) while the Flames were just 10 for 38.

EQUESTRIAN

Sweet Briar, Randolph riders earn top-8 finishes at nationals

In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Sweet Briar’s Makayla Benjamin finished eighth in the prestigious Cacchione Cup in her debut in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Championship.

Thanks to her overall score of 162.00, a combination of two scores based on her performances on the flat and over fences, Benjamin was eighth out of 24 riders in the event, which pits the best overall riders in the nation against each other.

Randolph’s Abby Carpenter took home a sixth-place finish in her debut at nationals in the lower-level Walk-Trot category. Carpenter, a junior, was one of 16 riders competing in the Walk-Trot.

GOLF

Andrews inducted into N.C. Sports Hall of Fame

Lynchburg native Donna Andrews was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame on Friday night, marking the second hall of fame she has been inducted into in the past two years.

The E.C. Glass High School graduate and former LPGA Tour member was inducted into the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame last year. Andrews, who resides in Pinehurst, North Carolina, was the first female and second Lynchburg native to join the Virginia Golf HoF, joining Vinny Giles who was in the inaugural class.

Andrews was previously inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.