HAMPTON, VA. – Junior Daniel Lutz and senior Coire Barnitz combined on a two-hit shutout as the Apprentice School scored a pair of runs in the first, third and fifth innings to defeat Virginia State 6-0 at War Memorial Stadium.

The Builders jumped out with a pair in the first as Chris Kennedy walked and advanced to second on a Josh Tuck single.  Andrew Yonta followed with a single to score Kennedy and move Tuck to third.  A wild pitch plated Tuck with the second run of the inning. 

They added two more in the third as Chris Aldridge doubled into left field to score Andrew Hooper and Yonta for a 4-0 lead.  In the fifth, a groundout from Hooper scored Yonta who earlier doubled and Aldridge singled in Corey Gallaway who also doubled in the inning for the 6-0 advantage.

Apprentice School rode the strong performance of Lutz who went the first seven innings and struck out a career-high 11.  He opened the game mowing down the Trojans as he struck out six of the first seven batters of the game.  Lutz, a Gloucester native, allowed a single by Darryl Stringfield in the first and a bunt single from Cameron Cox in the sixth for his lone hits.  He only walked one in seven innings of work for his third win on the year.

Barnitz came into pitch the final two innings and struck out three to seal the 6-0 win.  The 14 strikeouts were the most in a game since the Builders struck out 16 Chowan College batters on April 18, 2006.

Tuck was 3-for-5, while Yonta and Aldridge had a pair of hits each for the Builders (13-6).  Aldridge drove in three runs on the game as well.

Apprentice School is now off until Monday when they start a three-game series with Fulton-Montgomery College with a 1 pm doubleheader at War Memorial Stadium.

Notes: The Apprentice School entered the game ranked seventh in the first USCAA Top 20 national rankings (click here).  Corey Gallaway was an Honorable Mention selection for Hitter of the Week in the USCAA after his 9-for-15 performance in five games last weekend.