Brandon Barbery fired eight sparkling innings and was backed by three homers as the VMI Keydets downed The Citadel Bulldogs, 8-3, in the middle game of a three-game SoCon series contested Saturday in Lexington, Va.
Collin Fleischer, Will Malbon and Tyler Tharp went deep, but the story for VMI (14-12, 1-1 SoCon) was starting pitcher Barbery. He went eight shutout innings and allowed just three hits. He struck out two, did not issue a walk and The Citadel (10-13, 1-1) got just two runners to third base against him.
Barbery’s victory moved him to 3-2 on the year, while the Keydets got to losing pitcher Thomas Byelick (0-2) for two runs on nine hits in five innings.
The Keydets got on the board in the third, when David Geary led off with a single. Fleischer followed with a single and one out later, Tharp bounced a RBI single through the left side for a 1-0 VMI lead.
Malbon’s solo shot in the fourth inning made it a 2-0 VMI advantage, and as Barbery cruised through the middle innings, it remained 2-0 until the seventh. The first two Keydet hitters walked in that frame and Matt Pita followed with a bunt down the third base line. Third baseman Bret Hines fielded the ball and threw wildly to first, allowing both runners to score and Pita to go all the way to third. Matt Dunlevy followed with a sacrifice fly to make it a 5-0 game.
That margin grew in the eighth, when Fleischer launched a titanic home run on to the top of the hill in left field for a 6-0 advantage. Tharp followed with a two-run shot later in the inning to cap the Keydet scoring.
The Citadel managed three runs in the ninth against the VMI bullpen, thanks to three walks, a passed ball and an error, but could get no closer as the Keydets held on for the 8-3 victory.
Offensively, Fleischer and Pita had three hits apiece to pace the home team, while no Citadel player had more than one hit.
VMI baseball will return to action Sunday, when the Keydets and The Citadel wrap up their series at 1 p.m.
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