BRIDGEWATER, Va. – Bridgewater College pushed across two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning Wednesday afternoon to break a 5-5 tie and take a 7-5 victory over conference-leading Shenandoah University. The Hornets entered the contest ranked No. 6 in the D3baseball.com Top 25.

The game was played following the completion of the April 8 game in Winchester that was halted due to bad weather. The game resumed with one out in the top of the ninth inning with Shenandoah holding a 3-2.

Bridgewater had runners at first and second when play resumed. Hornets' hurler Ryan Mossman retired Justin Petock on a long fly ball to center field and Brandon Poole on an infield fly to preserve the 3-2 victory for Shenandoah.

Mossman also started the next game and the Eagles scored four runs in the second to take an early lead.

Kenner Berry walked to lead off the inning and Brendan Howell was safe on an infield error. Ryan Leake put down a perfect bunt toward third and his hit loaded the bases with no outs. Cavin Clyde was then hit by a pitch, forcing in Berry with the game's first run. Brandon Poole made it 3-0 when his line single to center plated two runs. With runners at first and second, Hunter Hensley moved the runners up with a sacrifice bunt. Clyde scored on Derrik Walling's groundout to short, giving the Eagles a 4-0 lead.

Mossman and Bridgewater starter Steven Woerner cruised into the seventh. Mossman did not allow a hit in innings three through six while Woerner blanked the Hornets through the first six innings.

Shenandoah finally got to Woerner with two runs in the top of the seventh. Daniel Freshley led off the inning with a double to left-center and moved to third on Tyler Hott's bunt. Lew Johnson singled through the right side of the infield to put the Hornets on the scoreboard, cutting the BC lead to 4-1. Joe Coleman singled to second and he and Johnson each advanced a base on a throwing error on the play. With runners at second and third, Johnson scored on a groundout by Billy Arens, trimming the Bridgewater lead to 4-2.

Leake walked to open the Eagles half of the seventh, but Mossman retired the next two hitters on a strikeout and a fly ball to shallow right. Mossman induced Hensley to swing at strike three on a pitch in the dirt, but Hensley reached first when the pitch bounced away from the catcher. With the inning still alive, Walling singled to right, scoring Leake to give the Eagles a 5-2 lead.

The Hornets rallied to tie the game in the eighth against the Eagles' bullpen. Singles by Ricky Pardo and Mossman and a walk to J.J. McDaniel loaded the bases with no outs against BC lefty Brady Cockerham. Freshley greeted Eagles reliever Johnny Lavoie with a single to left, cutting the Eagles lead to 5-3. Bridgewater went to the pen again and Hott plated Mossman with a long sac fly to center, making it a one-run game, 5-4. With runners at first and third, the Hornets executed a double-steal to tie the score at 5-5.

Bridgewater answered in the bottom of the eighth against the Hornets bullpen. Darren Yoder led off with a double down the left field line against Ryan Kinter and Berry followed with a double that was just out of the reach of left-fielder Pardo. Yoder was unable to score on the play as he had to hold at second in case Pardo made the catch. With runners at second and third and no outs, Howell greeted lefty Matt Riegler with a single to left, giving the Eagles a 6-5 lead. Leake then hit a grounder to short and Berry was safe at home when the throw to the plate was wide, making the score 7-5.

Petock came in to pitch the ninth for the Eagles and he retired the Hornets in order to preserve the 7-5 victory.

Bridgewater is now 22-10-1 overall and 11-7 in the ODAC. Shenandoah is 20-5-1, 15-3 in the conference.

The Eagles close out the ODAC regular season Saturday when they travel to play Roanoke College. The first game begins at noon.