E.C. Glass renewed its rivalry with Loudoun County-based Dominion High on Saturday, the first matchup since the Hilltoppers fell to the Titans in the Class 4 state title game last June.
And Glass put memories of last year’s loss to bed. Eli Wood scored six goals and dished out two assists, Caleb Hill scored three times and Penn Willman added two goals as Glass defeated Dominion 11-8 at the Blue Ridge School in St. George.
Glass coach Eddie Ranuska called it “a huge win for our program.” And indeed, it was an important early season win, the kind that can bolster confidence later in the spring when the Hilltoppers (2-1) will try to return to the state championship for the fifth time in the last five seasons.
Glass entered the third quarter leading 8-7 and then outscored the Titans 3-1 in the final frame.
The two teams have faced off nine times since 2011, and Glass now owns a 6-3 record in the series, including a 12-8 victory in the 2018 state championship game and a 21-11 win in the 2017 state semifinals.
The two programs are among the best in the state, with Glass once reeling off a 26-game winning streak (2018 through 2019) and Dominion (1-1) once winning 22 straight (2016 through 2017). Those marks are the third and fourth best in state history, respectively.
In other lacrosse action, the Jefferson Forest boys blasted New Covenant 18-0.
BASEBALL
Jefferson Forest 2, Staunton River 0
In a pitchers’ duel in Forest, Peyton Smith and Breckin Nace combined to throw a one-hitter, Sam Bell blasted a solo homer to left in the bottom of the sixth and Jefferson Forest defeated Staunton River 2-0.
Smith was exceptional. The senior southpaw allowed one hit (to Golden Eagles pitcher Jared Steele), walked two and struck out six. Nace threw the final inning for the save, allowing one walk and fanning three. JF (4-0) scored in the first inning when B. Harris grounded into a fielder’s choice, bringing home Smith from third.
Staunton River’s hit came in the third inning. Steele took the hard-luck loss, throwing six inning and allowing five hits, two runs (both earned), walking two and striking out three.
It was the second time in a week JF defeated Staunton River (2-3). The Cavaliers earned a 2-1 win in Moneta last weekend.
SOFTBALL
Jefferson Forest 2, Staunton River 0
Staunton River continued its winning ways in Forest on Saturday as pitcher Emily Wood twirled a gem, allowing one hit and throwing a complete game as the Golden Eagles improved to 6-0.
Wood struck out three, walked one and gave up that one hit to JF’s Ciara Nauful in the third inning. Staunton River’s Allie Davidson hit a solo home run to right in the fourth.
JF’s Gillian Faris took the loss, tossing seven innings and giving up five hits and two earned runs. She didn’t allow a walk and struck out six as JF fell to 3-2.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Stetson 5, No. 15 Liberty 3
Stetson second baseman Cameron Hill had only two hits. Both were huge for the Hatters.
Hill’s two-run homer in the second inning gave Stetson a four-run lead and he added a valuable insurance run with an RBI single in the ninth as the Hatters defeated No. 15 Liberty in the second game of the weekend series at Liberty Baseball Stadium.
Stetson (13-9, 1-4 ASUN) jumped on Liberty starter Trey Gibson (3-1) for four runs (three earned) on three hits and two walks in two innings. Gibson struck out four.
Garrett Horn struck out a career-high and allowed only two hits over five shutout innings of relief.
The Flames (13-9, 2-3) scored three times in the third to cut the deficit to one run as Three Hillier, Nate Keeter and Logan Mathieu each drove in a run.
Hiller, who delivered the walk-off single in Friday’s series opener, had two on with two outs in the bottom of the ninth Saturday. Rasesh Pandya, though, was able to finish off the victory by retiring Hillier to preserve the victory.
No. 4 Lynchburg 16-13, Eastern Mennonite 8-6
Logan Webster drove in four runs in the opener, Garrett Jackson had two RBIs in the opener and drove in four more in the nightcap, and the Hornets (17-4, 7-0 ODAC) swept a doubleheader against the Royals (7-12, 4-4) at Royals Field in Harrisonburg.
UL scored 11 times in the eighth and ninth innings to blow out EMU in the nightcap.
Jackson had two-run doubles in both frames and PJ Alvanos added a two-run single in the ninth.
Altavista grad Grayson Thurman (2-0) pitched 3 ⅓ innings of relief to pick up the victory. He allowed one unearned run on four hits and struck out nine.
Webster’s grand slam and Jackson’s two-run homer highlighted a nine-run first inning in the opener as the Hornets cruised.
Avery Neaves went 3 for 4 with a three-run homer in the ninth inning.
Zack Potts (5-1) picked up the victory by allowing six earned runs on eight hits and striking out eight over five innings.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Liberty 4-6, North Alabama 2-0
Karlie Keeney threw a five-hitter and Rachel Roupe clubbed a grand slam in the nightcap, Devyn Howard and Denay Griffin each homer in the opener, and the Flames (20-12, 5-0 ASUN) swept the Lions (22-9, 1-4) to open a weekend series at Liberty Softball Stadium.
Kenney (10-6) threw her third shutout of the season and struck out seven.
Roupe’s grand slam capped a six-run first inning. Kara Cannetto added a two-run single.
Howard and Griffin homered in a three-run fifth inning to give the Flames the lead in the opener.
Howard’s two-run blast gave LU the lead for good and Griffin (2 for 2) followed three batters later with a solo homer.
Emily Kirby (3-3) struck out 10 and allowed two runs on five hits in a complete-game effort.
Lynchburg 6-8, Eastern Mennonite 5-5
Karie Cundiff hit a grand slam and drove in five runs, Emily Charlton allowed one earned run in a complete-game effort, and the Hornets (9-9, 2-0 ODAC) rolled in the nightcap to complete a doubleheader sweep of the Royals (14-3-1, 0-2) at Gehman Field in Harrisonburg.
Cundiff went 3 for 4 with an RBI double in the sixth inning that gave UL the lead for good in the nightcap. Charlton (5-4) struck out four and scattered seven hits.
The Hornets won the opener in the eighth inning on Liberty grad Gracie Dooley’s single that scored Kaleigh Hackett (Appomattox) for the game-winning run in the eighth inning of the opener as UL overcame a four-run, first-inning deficit.
UL took a 5-4 lead with a four-run fifth inning. Hackett had a two-run double and Addison Walter followed with a two-run homer.
Sophie Tully went 3 for 3 with two doubles. Lexi Powell and Carly Hudnall (Rustburg) each went 2 for 5.
Bridgewater 5-8, Randolph 4-7
Jazmyne Smith (Amherst) doubled in the walk-off run in the opener and Peyton Gregory scored the walk-off run on an error in the nightcap as the Eagles (12-10, 2-0 ODAC) swept the WildCats (6-15, 0-2) in at doubleheader at Fulk Field in Bridgewater.
Smith went 4 for 8 with six RBIs in the two games. Her three-run homer in the sixth inning of the nightcap gave Bridgewater a 7-6 lead.
Lacey Lucado drove in three runs in the nightcap for RC and finished with four RBIs for the day. Her RBI double in the top of the seventh of the nightcap tied it at 7.
Allie Jarrett added three RBIs over the two games.
Paige Scruggs (2-5) and Emily Morris (1-2) suffered the losses for RC.
COLLEGE MEN’S LACROSSE
No. 7 Lynchburg 28, Virginia Wesleyan 4
In Virginia Beach, Lynchburg scored nine straight goals in the first quarter to pull away early, eventually notching a program record and a lopsided win over Virginia Wesleyan at Birdsong Field.
Ryan Kenney and Charlie Evans each outscored VWU (3-6 , 0-3 ODAC) himself, recording five goals apiece for UL (6-3, 2-0).
The Hornets matched a single-game program record for goals, equaling the 28 it scored at VWU in 2018. Lynchburg’s 22 assists shattered the previous mark of 17, set in 2019.
Shenandoah 23, Randolph 2
Shenandoah scored the game’s first 14 goals and never looked back as it recorded an easy victory over Randolph at WildCat Stadium.
Jack Dolan scored both goals for RC (1-7, 0-2 ODAC). Logan Clingerman led Shenandoah (8-2, 3-0) with four goals.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S LACROSSE
Meredith 10, Lynchburg 4
Meredith led by as many as six goals and never trailed in a win over Lynchburg at Meredith Athletic Field.
Jessica Dowdy scored a game-high four goals for Meredith (5-3), and four different players scored for UL (3-5).
West Virginia Wesleyan 15, Randolph 7
West Virginia Wesleyan scored a pair of goals in eight seconds to open the game, and Randolph never recovered at WildCat Stadium.
Emma Adcock led WVWC (2-3) with five goals. Sophia Cirone (four goals) and Olivia Richards (three goals) accounted for all of the scoring for Randolph (2-3).
Liberty 11, High Point 10
Jordan Baerga and Cami Merkel scored two goals apiece as the Flames (6-4) edged the Panthers (1-7) at Liberty Lacrosse Field.
Mackenzie Lehman added one goal and three assists for LU.
COLLEGE MEN’S TENNIS
Florida Atlantic 4, Liberty 3
Florida Atlantic’s Alvaro Fernandez Horta beat Liberty’s Rafael Marques Da Silva in the No. 3 singles match to clinch a narrow victory for the Owls at Liberty Tennis Complex.
Sixtieth-ranked FAU improved to 14-4 with the win over No. 71 LU (5-9).
COLLEGE WOMEN’S TENNIS
Christopher Newport 8, Sweet Briar 1
In Newport News, Allison Wandling was the lone victor for Sweet Briar (12-3) as it fell to Christopher Newport (4-5) at Eyre Courts.
OUTDOOR COLLEGE TRACK & FIELD
Liberty posts 11 wins, Lynchburg tallies three triumphs at Toms Invitational
Liberty racked up 11 victories, highlighted by a sweep of the four women’s throwing events, and Lynchburg added three wins in the Dr. Jack M. Toms Invitational at UL’s Toms Track.
Gracie Artis (hammer), Kali Grayson (javelin), Megan Mann (shot put) and Sofia Mojica (discus) won for the Flames. Artis set a facility record in the hammer with a throw of 186 feet, 2 inches.
Beau Backes (discus) and John Hicks (hammer) won throwing events on the men’s side.
Anthony Bryan, Luke Anderson and Zach Wendt finished 1-2-3 in the men’s 110 hurdles, and Samantha Troup and Jessica Rogers posted a 1-2 finish in the women’s 800.
Meredith Engle set a personal best at 18 feet, 8 ½ inches to win the women’s long jump, Anderson won the men’s 400 hurdles, and Joelle Patton won the women’s 100.
UL’s Aniya Seward broke her own school record in the women’s 100 hurdles with a winning time of 14.32 seconds.
Alex Shadkhoo won the men’s 200 and Lizzie Davis won the women’s high jump. Randolph’s Meghan Chaffins finished third in the high jump.
Kipchirchir wins 800 at Bobcat Invite
Liberty’s Ally Kipchirchir edged Kansas State’s Travis Hodge by 0.23 second to win the men’s 800 in the Bobcat Invitational at Texas State Track & Field Complex in San Marcos, Texas.
Kipchirchir clocked in at 1:50.80. Teammate Isaiah Schulties finished third with a personal-best time of 1:51.75.
Annamarie McKenzie finished eighth in the women’s 800 and Janai Scott placed sixth in the women’s 400.
Mitchell, Mojica compete at Texas Relays
Kyle Mitchell finished 10th in Section A of the men’s shot put and Naomi Mojica placed 13th in Section A of the women’s shot put in the Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas.
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