Collin Fleischer and Tyler Tharp went deep and Matt Eagle allowed just three hits over six innings, helping the VMI Keydets to an 8-1 win over the Wofford Terriers in SoCon baseball action Saturday in Spartanburg, S.C.
With the victory, VMI (17-15, 4-4 SoCon) wins the series and will bid for its first conference sweep since 2015 on Sunday afternoon.
The Keydets took the lead three batters into the game, when Peyton Maddox doubled home a run, and pulled away in the third. Fleischer hit a two-run homer in that frame, his fourth in three games, and Tharp homered one batter later.
VMI then scored three times in the fourth to blow the game open, and Wofford (16-16, 2-3) got no closer than seven runs the rest of the way.
Matt Eagle was the winning pitcher (3-1) and pitched well with the big run support, as he fired six innings of three-hit baseball and allowed just one run. Eagle walked two and struck out six. Spencer Kulman (6-2) was hit hard for Wofford, giving up seven runs – all earned – in 3 2/3 innings.
The Keydets jumped ahead in the first when Fleischer walked and scored on Maddox’s 12th double of the year. That tied the Keydet catcher for the most two-baggers in the SoCon this season and gave the Keydets a 1-0 lead.
That margin grew in the third, when Fleischer blasted his sixth home run of the year to make it 3-0. One batter later, Tharp homered to right for his seventh long ball of the season and a 4-0 VMI lead.
The Keydets broke it open in the fourth, scoring three runs on just two hits. An infield hit by Fleischer made it 5-0, and a sixth run scored when Tharp drew a bases loaded walk. Jake Huggins was then hit by a pitch to score another run and make it 7-0, VMI.
The teams traded runs late to account for the final margin.
Offensively, the Keydets were led by Fleischer’s 2 for 4 day with three RBI and three runs scored. Tharp and Jacob Jaye chipped in two hits apiece, while four Wofford players had one hit each.
VMI and Wofford will wrap up their series Sunday at 1 p.m.
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