Austin Marzullo Archives - EMU News

Making Royals baseball history: trio named to All-State team

John Galle — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 18:54:46 +0000

Three’s company, and when it comes to ��ݮ��’s all-state baseball selections, it’s also historic.

A scrappy sophomore with a reliable bat was a key piece of that puzzle.

Outfielder – a 5-foot-9, 170-pound Rustburg High School graduate – led the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in hitting at .423 (47-for-111) and was one of three Royals named to the by Virginia’s sports information directors late last week.

Senior shortstop joined Hall on the first team, and senior relief pitcher made the second team. Players on non-Division I teams were eligible.

EMU had never had three VaSID all-state selections in the same season before.

“I’m not surprised all three of these guys were named all-state after the years they had for us,” third-year EMU coach said. “I think each of them had different paths to this point.”

But in terms of Hall’s path…

‘A role guy’ to much more

“To go from the start of his year this year as sort of a role guy, to a guy you couldn’t get out of the lineup to all-state first-team, it’s a big surprise,” Spotts said.

Hall was a part of Spotts’ first recruiting class and impressed people with how quickly he was able to contribute. After being brought in as a raw athlete, Hall hit .318 in 19 games (10 starts) as a freshman. Then, he surprised himself on March 3 in his first start in right field, throwing out two Mount Union runners – one at second base and one at home plate – during the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational in Winter Haven, Fla.

“I felt like I knew I had the arm for it, but at that time I didn’t know where it would go,” Hall recalled. “I honestly didn’t know where it would go.”

Spotts envisioned Hall as a backup shortstop entering this year and expected him to become a key player as a junior and senior. However, one look at Hall’s speed during an impromptu relay race last winter was all Spotts needed to speed up the process of getting Hall onto the field.

“He always had the tools. It was just a matter if it could translate over,” Spotts said. “He never played outfield. We made him an outfielder. … It just became a matter where we couldn’t wait another year.”

Getting Hall into the lineup paid immediate dividends as the All-ODAC first-team outfielder averaged 1.52 hits per game and finished with a .492 on-base percentage this spring. Spotts credited Hall’s competitiveness and simplified approach at the plate for his strong batting average.

“His bat certainly gets him recognition, but if you watch him, [he’s got a big arm in the outfield],” Spotts said. “Heck, we put him on the mound because he competes so much.”

As a closer, Hall didn’t allow a run in seven innings of work with eight strikeouts, giving up just two hits (both singles) and four walks. But clearly it was his speed that initially separated Hall, who Spotts lauded for his ability to drag bunt, push bunt and hit the ball the other way.

“Even when he was a freshman, I was facing him in the fall and he got an infield single off me,” Marzullo said of Hall, who batted second behind fellow sophomore Griffin Stanley. “The way he hustles around the bases and just how hard he plays in the field, it was obvious he was going to make an impact on the program. … He plays harder than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

Spotts said it’s still uncertain whether Hall will inherit Rodriguez’s role at shortstop – a place where Rodriguez “gave us calmness” for three years – or continue to man the outfield. Hall, for one, wasn’t too concerned where he’d play next season, whether it is outfield, shortstop or third base.

“I don’t feel like where I play in the field will affect my hitting any,” he said.

Marzullo tough to replace

As for Marzullo, a durable right-hander who led the Royals with 15 appearances? Finding a replacement to match his role might not be as easy.

“We’ll be searching for someone,” Spotts said. “It was good to know if our starter gave us five or six innings, we could turn it over to Austin. We’re certainly going to miss him because I’ve always said your pitching sets the tone.”

The 6-foot-5 Marzullo (2-2, 2.76 ERA) was a first-team All-ODAC selection who had four saves in 32 2/3 innings for EMU after being initially disappointed that he wouldn’t be in the starting rotation. After struggling with command issues as a spot starter and reliever in past seasons, Marzullo said he changed his mentality on the mound.

“The first thing, I just had more confidence in my pitches, to be able to throw them across the plate at any time and trust that they will work,” Marzullo said. “It was also a focus pitch-by-pitch rather than results.”

Marzullo went 1-0 with two saves over EMU’s final six conference games.

Program on the rise

Rodriguez and Marzullo are two of nine graduating seniors for the Royals, including former Riverheads High School standout Kyle Armstrong [see editor’s note] and former Stonewall Jackson star Ryan Henschel.

“I’m excited to see how it ended for those guys, guys that finished on a high note and got our program to where it hasn’t been in a long time,” Spotts said.

The Royals (16-18 overall, 10-10 in the ODAC) tied a program record for conference wins and snapped a 12-year playoff drought by securing a spot in the six-team ODAC tournament this spring.

Courtesy of the Daily News Record, June 23, 2015

Editor’s Note: Kyle Armstrong, listed in the original article as a graduating senior, has one more season of eligibility.

Senior day sweep jumps EMU into fifth in ODAC

James De Boer — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 20:15:12 +0000

Showing they could play two very different games, EMU’s baseball team picked up a clutch ODAC sweep of Roanoke on Senior Day.�� On the backs of defense and pitching, the Royals won the opener before out-scoring the Maroons in a wild nightcap.

With the wins, Eastern Mennonite jumps from seventh in the conference standings into a tie for fifth. The top six teams will make the ODAC Tournament, a feat EMU last accomplished in 2002.

The Royals are 9-9 in league play, tied with Roanoke at 8-8, although the men now hold the head-to-head tie-breaker between the two. Lynchburg sits just behind them at 7-8. EMU plays two more conference games, ending the season with a twin bill at second-place Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday. Roanoke has four games left, including a game at Lynchburg, while LC still has five league games to play, with the final one next Sunday.

EMU 5, Roanoke 2
After pre-game Senior Recognition ceremonies, the day’s high spirits were dampened by an early confusing play. Just three batters in, Roanoke’s Craig Kiley lofted a ball deep to left, and��(Greenville, Va./Riverheads) crashed into the outfield fence trying to make the catch. Despite the great effort by Armstrong, he couldn’t make the play and it was discovered the ball somehow got over the fence.�� After some discussion, the umpires ruled it a homerun, giving the Maroons a 2-0 lead.

But the Royals quickly took the momentum back, starting their first inning with a walk and back-to-back singles to score a run.�� A sacrifice fly tied it at 2-2, and��(Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) knocked a clutch two-out, two-RBI single to left, flipping EMU in front, 4-2.

Starting pitcher��(Gloucester, Va./Gloucester) settled down on the mound and proceeded to allow just four more hits through 7.0 innings of work.

A Roanoke error in the fourth helped the men score, as Armstrong hit an RBI groundout to bump the lead to 5-2.

Brown handed the ball over to ��(Shippensburg, Pa./Shippensburg) in the eighth, and the big righthander allowed just one baserunner as he struck out three to earn a two-inning save. The game fittingly ended on a great play in the outfield, as a diving catch by Armstrong in the left-center gap closed a 1-2-3 ninth.

Along with a couple of airborne catches in the outfield, Armstrong led at the plate as well, batting 2-3 with two RBIs and a run scored.��(Miramar, Fla./Monsignor Edward Pace) was 2-3 with a walk and run, while Mathews and��(Bedford, Va./Staunton River) each had a pair of hits as well.

Brown struck out five and improved to 3-4 with the win, while Marzullo tied for the ODAC lead with his fourth save of the season.

EMU 11, Roanoke 9
The Royals looked destined for a sweep with a quick start in the second game. Rodriguez had three RBIs and Love sent a two-run bomb over the scoreboard in left field for the men’s first homerun of the season, as EMU led 5-0 after two.

Roanoke quickly tied it with a five spot in the third, however, doing the final damage with a three-run homer to left, chasing starter��(New Market, Va./Stonewall Jackson).

EMU went back ahead thanks to a two-out error in the bottom of the frame, but the Maroons got a pair of two-out RBIs in the fourth to get in front.�� The teams traded single runs in the fifth, leaving the visitors on top 8-7.

��𱹱��(Sugar Creek, Ohio/Hiland) finally provided some stability on the mound, entering in the sixth and retiring six straight batters.�� Meanwhile RC’s reliever broke down in the bottom of the sixth, issuing back-to-back walks to start the inning.�� The Maroons botched a sacrifice play from the Royals, loading the bases with nobody out.�� One run scored on a wild pitch, another on a single from Mathews and a third on a sacrifice fly from��(Fredericksburg, Va./Stafford), as EMU regained control, 10-8.

Rodriguez ripped an RBI double in the seventh, making it 11-8.

Marzullo returned to the hill in the eighth, and allowed one run in his second appearance of the day.��(Gladys, Va./Rustburg) then entered in the ninth, and after a leadoff walk he got three straight outs to lock up the win and earn his second save.

Weaver picked up his first win in an EMU uniform with his big-time performance in the sixth and seventh innings.

The offense had 12 hits and six walks, with each position player either scoring or driving in a run. Rodriguez had a big game, going 3-4 with a walk and four RBIs. Carroll was 2-3 with a walk, scoring time times and knocking in another. Hall reached base three times with a pair of singles and a walk while Love had two RBIs on his big homerun.

At 15-14 overall, the Royals step out of conference play for two games during the week. The men host The Apprentice School Tuesday at 4 p.m. in their final home game before playing at Messiah College at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Offense again leads in doubleheader sweep

James De Boer — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 15:46:42 +0000

The only thing that could stop the EMU baseball team Sunday afternoon was darkness.�� The Royals offense continued its roll, plating 31 runs in 11 offensive innings of a doubleheader sweep of visiting Mount Saint Vincent.�� Eastern Mennonite scored a total of 76 runs in 31 at-bats in five wins in Harrisonburg this weekend.

EMU 23, Mount Saint Vincent 10
The Royals scored three runs in their first at-bat, but broke open a tie game in the bottom of the second.�� With two outs and just a runner on third, EMU took off.�� (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) brought in three runs with a bases loaded single, and (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) roped a two-run triple.�� Seven runs scored as the men jumped in front, 10-3.

The Royals scored twice in the third, and four more times in the fifth, highlighted by a two-run double from (Miami, Fla./Doral).

The men led 16-8 in the bottom of the sixth when to landed another seven-run frame.�� (Roanoke, Va./Cave Springs) had his own two-run triple, and (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield) hit a pinch-hit two-run single.

Although the game featured a combined 13 errors, Eastern Mennonite had 21 hits to go with seven walks.�� Mathews finished 3-3 with four RBIs while Estrada was 2-3 with three RBIs, two walks and two runs.�� (Poquoson, Va./Poquoson) had three hits, scoring twice and knocking in two more.�� Hedrick finished with four RBIs and two runs, while (Fredericksburg, Va./Stafford) scored three times.

(Shippensburg, Pa./Shippensburg) pitched five innings, giving up two earned runs on seven hits to get his first win of the season.

EMU 8, Mount Saint Vincent 4 – 6 innings
While the nightcap never got flowing the way the first game did, the Royals took full advantage of CMSV’s three errors, as half of their runs were unearned.

The Dolphins led 1-0 when EMU took over in the bottom of the second.�� Four runs scored, highlighted by ‘s (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) two-run single.�� The visitors plated another single run in the third, but the Royals jumped the lead to 7-2 with three unearned runs in the bottom of the frame.

The final two innings were filled with tension, but little scoring, as EMU turned a double play to end the game after the top of the sixth on account of darkness.

Posey had four of the men’s 10 hits, going a perfect 4-4.�� McAlister had two RBIs while Estrada reached base twice on walks.�� (Rustburg, Va./Rustburg) singled in his only official at-bat, adding a walk, run and RBI to his totals.

(Front Royal, Va./Warren County) improved to 1-0 by scattering six hits over 5.0 innings.�� (Mechanicsville, Va./Hanover) threw a scoreless sixth.

After sweeping all five games of their home-opening weekend, the Royals (6-1) are set to host Penn State-Harrisburg on Thursday.�� EMU then welcome Emory & Henry on Saturday for their ODAC opener.

Baseball Royals Earn Split to Open Season

James De Boer — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:10:49 +0000

The Eastern Mennonite baseball team opened the 2012 season Saturday, playing a doubleheader at North Carolina Wesleyan in Rocky Mount, NC.�� Despite temperatures in the low 50s, cloudy skies and a blustery wind made for a chilly day. The men had a successful start, capped by a 9-1 outburst to earn a split.

NC Wesleyan 5, EMU 2
In game one, the Royals jumped on the board in their first at-bat of the year.�� Freshman (Lansdale, PA/Christopher Dock) led off with a double to right.�� He took third when (Sterling, PA/Park View) reach on a two-out error.�� Smith was subsequently picked off first base, but he stayed in the pickle long enough for Melendez to touch home.

The Battling Bishops took the lead in the bottom of the second with a pair of runs.�� But EMU came right back in the third.

(Miami, FL/Pace) led off with a walk and scored when Melendez smacked his second double.�� (Crozet, VA/Western Albemarle) sacrificed Melendez to third, but a pair of infield outs ended the frame with the score tied at 2-2.

North Carolina Wesleyan strung together three hits in the fifth to plate three runs and go back on top.�� The men then got two runners on in the sixth, but a pair of fly balls ended the threat.

Melendez walked to lead off the Royal’s final chance in the seventh, but a double play emptied the bases and cut down the rally.

(Louisa, VA/Louisa County) took the opening day start and took the loss.�� He gave up only six hits, but allowed five runs (four earned) while striking out four.�� Freshman (Shippensburg, PA/Shippensburg) struck out two in his one inning.

Melendez had a successful debut, reaching base in all four of his trips to the plate and factoring in both of EMU’s runs.�� He finished with two doubles and two walks, scoring one run and driving in the other.�� Smith and (Selinsgrove, PA/Selinsgrove) had the other two of the men’s four hits.

EMU 9, NC Wesleyan 1
The Royals were in control in the nine-inning nightcap.�� (Miramar, FL/Pace) laced a two-run, two-out single in the men’s first at-bat, then brought in the first run of a three-run rally in the third by getting hit with a pitch.

The Battling Bishops scored their lone run on a two-out single in the fifth, but EMU put up back-to-back two-spots in the 6^th and 7^th.�� Melendez shot a two-run long ball to right to provide the final runs on the team’s first homerun of the year.

Eastern Mennonite had 10 hits in the second game, and junior transfer (Varina, VA/Varina) scattered five hits over seven innings in his EMU debut.�� He struck out six.�� (New Market, VA/Stonewall Jackson) provided two inning of scoreless relief.

Melendez finished 2-5 with three runs and a pair of RBIs from his homer.�� Smith had three hits including one double.

Justin Rodriguez finished with a pair of hits and four RBIs.�� Sophomore (Miami, FL/Doral Academy) scored three runs.

The Royals, now 1-1, return to Harrisonburg for their home opener on Wednesday.�� Mary Washington will come in for a single game at 3:00pm.