ETTRICK, VA. – The Apprentice School baseball team took to the road for the first time in the 2010 season and scored a 7-6 victory over NCAA Division II Virginia State University in 11 innings at Colbert Park in Ettrick on Wednesday.
The Builders jumped out quickly scoring a pair of runs in the first inning as Ryan Wagner and Josh Tuck started the game with singles and Wagner scored on a double from Jonathan Dehoux. Tuck scored two batters later on a RBI groundout from Dory Fields for a 2-0 Apprentice School lead.
Virginia State pushed a run across in the second and took a 3-2 lead with a pair of runs in the seventh, before the Builders struck again for a pair of runs. After one out, Tuck hit the first of his two doubles in the game and Dehoux blasted his third home run of the season to give Apprentice School (10-5) a 4-3 lead.
The Trojans tied the game in the bottom of the ninth on a solo home run from Shannon Rush to send the game to extra innings. In the 11th, Apprentice School scored a run as Andrew Hooper reached on an single to plate Fields who started the inning with a single. Following a single by Chris Scarola and a walk to Wagner, Tuck greeted relief pitcher Daniel Cornett with a two-run double to give the Builders a 7-4 advantage.
In the bottom of the 11th, the Trojans scored a run on a wild pitch and the second on a fielders choice before Tim Kehoe settled in and forced another fielders choice to end the game.
Tuck was 3-for-6 with a pair of runs scored and a pair of RBIs to lead the Builders hitting attack. Dehoux was 2-for-5 with three RBIs, while Wagner was 2-for-5 with a run scored in the game. Sophomore Daniel Lutz started the game throwing the first seven innings allowing five hits and three runs. Coire Barnitz pitched the next three innings allowing four hits and three runs and picked up the win before giving way to Kehoe in the 11th.
Apprentice School will turn around and face USCAA member Southern Maine CC on Thursday afternoon in a noon doubleheader at War Memorial Stadium.