Box Score WINCHESTER, Va. – The Gallaudet University baseball team upset in-region power Shenandoah University with a 6-0 shutout on the road Sunday afternoon.
GU starting pitcher Brandon Holsworth (Beal City, Mich.) hurled one of his best games in his career as he logged seven scoreless innings against Shenandoah (5-1). Holsworth (2-1) allowed eight hits, walked two and struck out five Hornets. Sophomore Danny O'Donnell (Olney, Md.) came in to close out the game as he got the final six outs.
This is Gallaudet's first victory over Shenandoah, who has been receiving votes in the D3baseball.com Top 25 poll. The Bison lost 11-3 last season to SU, who was ranked No. 25 at the time. Shenandoah has been to the NCAA Division III College World Series twice (2009, '10) and the NCAA tournament four times (2009-12) since its program started in 2006.
Gallaudet (5-3) got on the board in the top of the fourth inning when senior catcher Casey Hicks (Henderson, Nev.) singled up the middle to score senior JJ Klein (Cincinnati, Ohio). Two batters later, junior second baseman Mitchell Bensman (Russia, Ohio) singled through the right side of the infield, with two outs, to plate senior outfielder William Bissell (Brewer, Maine). Bissell finished 3-for-5 at the plate as he scored two runs.
Two Hornet errors in the sixth led to the Bison taking a 5-0 lead. GU capped its scoring with a double steal in the seventh as Hicks swiped second base and Klein stole home. Klein was 2-for-4 in the game, scored three runs and had the game's only extra base hit, a double.
Shenandoah had nine hits, all singles, and left eight runners on base in the loss. Three different Hornets had two or more hits. SU starting pitcher Billy Arens (1-1) took the loss as he surrendered four runs (three earned) off six hits in five innings where he struck out six Bison.
Gallaudet is slated to host Catholic University of America (2-3) in a nine-inning non-conference game at Hoy Field on Wednesday, March 5, at 2:30 p.m.
