Ettrick, VA - Virginia State University plated two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to break a 3-3 tie, then held off Vermont State University Lyndon for a 6-3 non-conference baseball victory on Tuesday afternoon.  The NCAA Division II Trojans improved to 6-8 on the season.  The game was Lyndon's season opener.

Lyndon broke on top in the top of the first inning.  TJ Santaw (Newport, VT) led the game off with a double and moved to third on Evan Duncan's (Little Elm, TX) single.  After Duncan stole second, Ryan Alt (Poultney, VT) delivered a two-run single, scoring Santaw and Duncan and giving the Hornets the lead.

Virginia State took advantage of a walk, a passed ball, and an error to score two unearned runs and tie things up in the bottom half of the first inning.

Lyndon regained the advantage in the top of the second inning when Matt Gonyeau (St. Albans, VT) laced a two-out triple, then scored when Santaw reached on an error.

The Trojans again came right back to even things in the bottom of the second inning.  Jamari Pooler's two-out base hit scored Avante Banks to knot the score at 3-3.

Lyndon starter Carlos Rodriguez (La Mirada, CA) and his Virginia State counterpart, Robert Hatcher, then settled in, with both putting zeros on the scoreboard over the next two and a half innings.

Virginia State took the lead in the home half of the fifth inning when Christian Henderson drew a leadoff walk off of Lyndon reliever Sean Cavanaugh (Londonderry, NH) then scored on Jimmyll Williams' triple.  Dawsyn Hock's sacrifice fly scored Willimas to give the home team a 5-3 advantage.

Virginia State would tack on an unearned insurance run in the seventh inning to account dor the final score.

Hatcher went eight innings, scattering ten hits while striking out four, to earn the win.  Cavanaugh, the second of five Lyndon pitchers, took the loss.

The Hornets return to action on Wednesday afternoon when they play at Ferrum College.  First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 pm.