VMI rally falls short against Longwood
The VMI Keydets brought the potential winning run to the plate in the ninth inning, but the Longwood Lancers pulled out a dramatic 8-6 victory in non-conference baseball action Wednesday night at Gray-Minor Stadium in Lexington.
Longwood (18-16) jumped ahead with four runs in the first against VMI (11-22) starter Campbell Henkel (1-4), making a rare midweek appearance. The Lancers then saw their lead increase to 7-1 through four and a half frames, helped by home runs from Robby Newman and Brandon Delk, before the Keydet rally began. Back to back RBI doubles in the fifth made it a four-run deficit, and that lead shrunk to two after VMI notched a pair of runs in the sixth. Unfortunately for the home team, Joey Varaksa homered in the ninth to provide an insurance run, and Cameron Walter flew out to right-center field to end the game with two runners on, with Varaksa making a sprawling catch to seal the victory. Read more
VMI routed at VCU
Matt Winn hit his first collegiate home run, giving the VMI Keydets a 1-0 lead in the third, but the VCU Rams scored the next 18 runs en route to an 18-1 victory in non-conference baseball action Tuesday night at The Diamond in Richmond, Va.
Winn’s blast off Seth Cutler-Voltz (3-2) was hit to left field, after the VCU starter had struck out six Keydets over the first 2 2/3 innings. VCU then answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning, before scoring 15 runs in the middle three frames to put the contest away. Culter-Voltz picked up the win, allowing one run over six innings and striking out 10. Connor Bach (0-3) took the loss for VMI, giving up five runs (four earned) over 3 2/3 frames. Read more
VMI drops twinbill
The Winthrop Eagles scored three times in the seventh inning, highlighted by a two-run home run from TJ Olesczuk, and went on to defeat the VMI Keydets 7-4 in the second game of a Big South doubleheader Saturday at Gray-Minor Stadium. With the win, Winthrop (11-22, 4-5 Big South) completes the doubleheader sweep of VMI (11-20, 4-8).
Jason Driver led off the decisive seventh with a double off VMI reliever Michael Devine, who was entering his second full inning of work. A sacrifice bunt moved him to third, and Patrick Gamblin was hit by a pitch. Matt Lobacz then plated Driver with a sacrifice fly, and Olesczuk victimized Devine on a 3-2 pitch, homering to straightaway left field to make it a 7-3 game. The Keydets scored once in the ninth to account for the final margin. Read more
High Point rallies to complete sweep of VMI
The VMI Keydets took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning, but the High Point Panthers scored the game’s final four runs en route to a 5-2 win Sunday afternoon in High Point, N.C.
With VMI (9-18, 3-6 Big South) leading 2-1, Sal Pezzino opened the High Point (19-11, 5-1) sixth with a single off Keydet starter Jeremy Brown. Ryan Retz then lined the ball through the right side for a hit, a ball that Keydet right fielder Jacob Morley charged, but threw wildly to third base. That allowed Pezzino to score and Retz to take third, and Retz then scored on a sacrifice fly to give the Panthers a lead they would not relinquish. Read more
High Point 2, VMI 0
Campbell Henkel allowed just two runs over 5 2/3 innings, but High Point Panther starting pitcher Matt Armstead pitched a complete game shutout, leading his team over the VMI Keydets 2-0 in Big South baseball action Saturday night in High Point, N.C.
Armstead (3-2) pitched the second straight complete game for High Point (18-11, 4-1 Big South), as he allowed just five VMI (9-17, 3-5) hits in the ball game and retired the final 16 batters he faced. Henkel scattered seven hits and struck out four in his solid outing, but took the hard luck loss to fall to 1-3 on the season. Read more
ODU blanks VMI
The Old Dominion Monarchs scored twice in the fifth inning for the only runs of the game, en route to a 2-0 win over the VMI Keydets Tuesday in non-conference baseball action at Gray-Minor Stadium.
ODU’s (10-14) Josh Wright led off the decisive fifth with a walk against VMI (9-15) reliever Connor Bach (0-2). Josh Eldridge then had an infield single, and Chris Baker singled to left center, scoring Wright with the game’s first run. After a foul out, Josh Tutwiler walked and Ben Verlander was announced as a pinch-hitter. Miles McQuaig relieved Bach and induced a ground ball to third, but Verlander beat the relay from second baseman Michael Donovan, allowing the second run to score. Read more
Asheville completes sweep of VMI
The VMI Keydets brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning, but the UNC Asheville Bulldogs were able to retire the game’s final two hitters and emerge with a 9-5 win in Big South baseball action Sunday afternoon at Greenwood Field.
The Keydets (6-13, 0-3 Big South) opened the ninth down 9-3 after Asheville (11-9, 3-0) had scored five runs in the middle innings. Eric Mayers started the rally with a double to left-center, and Drew Bryan and Sheldon Shifflett worked back to back walks. Cameron Walter followed with a RBI single, making it 9-4, and Rob Dickinson tacked on one of his own, cutting the deficit to four, 9-5. Read more
