NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Shenandoah 11, Piedmont 9
Records: Piedmont, 4-4; Shenandoah 7-0

WINCHESTER, Va. - The Piedmont baseball team fell at Shenandoah, 11-9, on Friday evening in its first game in the Shenandoah Mr. V Memorial Tournament in Winchester, Virginia.

It was an offensive bout between the two teams as the Lions went toe-to-toe with the undefeated Hornets. 

Ben Bodoh got the scoring started for the Lions in the top of the second as the catcher brought home a pair on a double to left center field. Cody Funk would follow Bodoh's lead and triple home a run, bringing the Lions' early lead to 3-0. 

The Hornets would answer back in the bottom half with a two-RBI single. Andrew Misirly would find his way out of the inning for Piedmont, holding the lead for his squad.

The Lions' offense would add three runs over the next three frames, while Misirly held the Hornets to just one run, finishing his day after five innings, earning six strikeouts while allowing just three runs.

Averett Thompson entered the sixth with a 6-3 lead, but the Shenandoah offense would hold nothing back against the junior. A leadoff single put the Hornets in business early, and after an RBI double led to a bases loaded situation for Shenandoah, the Hornets would unload. Tyler Smith would send a ball out of the yard for a grand slam, surging the Hornets ahead 8-6. Harris Bryson came on in relief of Thompson and was able to find his way through some traffic to get out of the inning. 

Piedmont's offense would fall silent in the seventh while Shenandoah added on a pair of runs, growing their lead to 10-6.

Needing a rally, the lineup provided a three-run eighth inning spearheaded by Cole Ellis, who brought home a pair, and Carter Few, who tripled home Ellis, making it a one-run game at 10-9.

With the Lions knocking on the door, the Hornets would add an important insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, setting the table for a suspenseful ninth inning.

Piedmont started the inning off strong with a Jack Ryan single, giving the Lions hope. Anderson Deaderick would pinch run for the Lions, but back-to-back outs gave the potential final at-bat to Justin Shaffer. Shaffer would keep the Lions' hopes alive with a single through the left side, moving Deaderick into scoring position and putting the tying run on base. But the Lions' magic would end there, as Shenandoah would pick up a strikeout to end the game.

Piedmont pushed Shenandoah to the brink and threatened to score in nearly every inning but couldn't get the final big hit.

The Lions will be back in action tomorrow, Feb. 28th, at 1:00 p.m. in Winchester, Va., against Oswego State.

TURNING POINT:
- A Shenandoah grand slam in the sixth inning that brought them the lead that they would not give back for the rest of the game.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- Cody Funk picked up three hits in the contest while also bringing home a run.
- Both Cole Ellis and Ben Bodoh had solid days at the plate with both players collecting two RBIs on the day.

HOW TO FOLLOW:
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