Statesmen Pitching Anchors Shutout Sweep During Opening Day of Inaugural Season

SOUTH PRINCE GEORGE, VA – The Richard Bland College of William and Mary Baseball team moves to 2-0 overall after their first games of the inaugural 2022 season. The baseball team hosted Anne Arundel Community College in a 7 inning doubleheader Thursday afternoon.

In game 1, the Statesmen defeated the Riverhawks 5-0 as three pitchers combined to throw a shutout. Richard Bland got things moving in the first inning scoring two runs when William Bean tripled on a line drive to center. Bean went 2-2 at the plate to lead the Statesmen offensively. Borders produced a double-play to finish off the game. Gavin Riley was the winning pitcher for Richard Bland. Riley went four innings, allowing zero runs on zero hits and striking out four. Borders and Conner Woodel entered the game out of the bullpen and helped to close out the game in relief.

In game 2, the Statesmen defeated the Riverhawks 12-0 in six innings. Nate Sherman singled on a line drive to center, followed by a William Bean single and a Nick Guerra Walk, to get things started for Richard Bland. Chris Polymeropoulos earned two rbi's scoring Sherman and Bean on a single to center field in the bottom of the 1^st. In the bottom of the 5^th inning, the Statesmen held a 5-0 lead prior to a single by Sherman and a homerun by Bean to score two additional runs. Gavin Burton garnered the Statesmen to victory. Burton lasted four innings, allowing one hit and zero runs while striking out six. Davis Snyder threw two innings in relief out of the bullpen. The Statesmen scattered 15 hits in the game. Bean, Guerra, Evan Hornsby, Polymeropoulos, and Sherman each collected multiple hits.

Richard Bland baseball next travels to Hampden-Sydney Sunday February 6^th at 12pm for an exhibition match, before starting conference play at Southeastern Community College on February 12^th.