HAMPTON, Va. – After splitting a doubleheader last weekend, Virginia State and Apprentice repeated the feat Friday with the Builders taking the opener 12-2 and the Trojans winning the nightcap by the identical score.  

GAME 1: BUILDERS 12, TROJANS 2

• After Jimmyll Williams got hit by the pitch he stole second before a double play ended the first inning. The Builders hit a triple and brought the runner in on a sac fly to score  
• In the bottom of the second Newport News was the benefited from an opening walk before a two out double drove him home. A passed ball then let that runner move to third. Another double would put runners on second and third while also making the score 3-0 
• An RBI ground out, let the third run of the inning come across for the Builders and in the fifth one more run came around to score making it 5-0 Newport News  
• In the bottom of the fourth the Builders doubled down the line and then advanced on two wild pitches to score 
• The Trojans answered with a Jaquan Tucker home run. Victor Johnson than tripled and Matthew May hit a sacrifice fly to get VSU on the board 
• In the bottom of the sixth the Builders get three runs to have a 10-run advantage at 12-2 

GAME 2: TROJANS 12, BUILDERS 2 

• The two opening batters got on and TJ McGowan hit a bunt single to get the runner on third across. Tucker walked to load the bases and then Jamari Pooler hit a double to score two. Daniel Smith then hit a sac fly to put four up in the first inning 
• Avante Banks and Williams hit back-to-back singles in the second, McGowan then walked to load the bases with one out. Tucker was hit by a pitch to let a run in, and Pooler hit a 2 RBI single right after. Justus Crawley then hit an RBI single and Smith hit an RBI fielder’s choice 
• The builders would score in the bottom of the inning, but in the top of the third the Trojans would put up their final three runs of the game with Tucker and Pooler picking up the RBI’s 
• Apprentice picked up one more in the third, but Joesph Hastings would shut down the Builders for the rest of the game to pick up his second win 

Story courtesy VSU Athletics; image courtesy Chris Waugaman, VSU Athletics

ETTRICK, Va. – The Virginia State University baseball team split a doubleheader against the Apprentice School on Friday dropping game one 7-1 and winning game two 5-1. 

GAME 1: BUILDERS 7, VSU 1

• The Builders would go down in order in the first and in the bottom of the inning Jimmyll Willams walked and Christian Henderson singled before both players stole to get runners on second and third. 
• Then on a two out wild pitch both runners moved up 90 feet to get the Trojans on the board 
• The Builders would add another run in the second and then in the fourth Apprentice then hung up three runs to widen their margin 
• Apprentice then added a run in the fifth sixth and seventh innings while and Avante Banks walk and steal of second was the only time the Trojans would get a runner in scoring position 

GAME 2: VSU 5, BUILDERS 1 

• Neither team would manage much in the first two innings with the only hits being by Williams and Victor Johnson for VSU 
• Joesph Hastings started the game and was throwing a perfect game through three innings 
• Banks and Williams hit back-to-back doubles to get runners on second and third with no outs. Henderson hit an RBI-ground out and an error by the 3b would get Jaquan Tucker to second and would score TJ McGowan who got on by a fielder’s choice 
• The Builders only managed to get two batters on through the fourth and fifth innings via an error and a walk 
• In the bottom of the sixth Jamari Pooler started the inning off with a double that was just feet from being a home run. Pooler then stole third and a Jody Morris double brought him in to score. Morris then advanced to third on an error by the catcher and Williams walked. Henderson then hit the third double of the inning to score both Morris and Williams 
• The Builders managed to get a runner on second after a single and a wild pitch. A one-out single put runners on the corners before a two out walk loaded the bases 
• A wild pitch advanced every runner to finally get the Builders on the board 
• Hastings earned his first win of the season 
• The Trojan win was their first NSAC victory of the season and the Builder’s first conference loss