Ashland, Va. (Feb. 24, 2018) - The 18th ranked Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets (4-0) scored four times in the bottom of the fifth inning in a 5-2 win over #16 Alvernia University (0-1) Saturday afternoon in non-conference baseball action at RMC.

The Golden Wolves took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth when Colin Rieger drove in Dillon Dunne with a double down the left field line.

Freshman Sean Esch took the ball from junior starter Nicholas Marotta to start the bottom of the fifth.  The Jackets got the first two on with a single and a hit by pitch.  The next man doubled in a run and a sacrifice fly followed to give RMC a 3-2 lead with a runner at third and one out.

Esch got the second out of the inning on a foul pop to Matt Briner, but Joseph Tuzzolo hit a 2-run homer to right for the 5-2 lead.

As is its custom, Alvernia battled right back.  Nathan Sides and Briner singled to open the sixth and put runners at the corners with no one out against RMC reliever Cody Thompson.  Ben Dubas struck out and Briner moved up on a wild pitch.  Franco Esposito couldn't get the runner in from third on his at-bat and Marcus Celiano struck out the end the inning.

Alvernia went in order in the seventh and had baserunners in the eighth and ninth, but couldn't get the tying run to the plate against Thompson.

Mike Cirilli, Sides, Briner, and Dubas--all batting two through five in the order--had two hits each as Alvernia finished with 11.  Marotta allowed a run on three hits over four, Esch took the loss allowing four runs on three hits.  Tim Carfrey worked two scoreless innings allowing a hit and Matt Brennan worked a scoreless inning.

The two teams return to the diamond Sunday for a noon start.

#19 Randolph-Macon 5, #16 Alvernia 2