Baseball: VMI jumps out to early lead, but Richmond rallies, defeats Keydets, 10-3

Richmond rallied Saturday for a 10-3 victory over the VMI baseball team in non-conference play from Pitt Field.

VMI scored three runs in the top of the first, as Justin Starke, Cody Warner and Will Knight came home after a Callen Nuccio hit. The Spiders answered with three in the bottom of the second on a three-run home run from Richie Ciufo.

Richmond broke the game open with five runs in the sixth frame.

Nuccio had two hits, Knight reached base twice on the day, with a walk and a HBP, and Warner walked twice. Freshman Ty Swaim also had a base hit.

Jacob Marcus tossed five innings of two-hit baseball for the Spiders, allowing just one earned run with 10 strikeouts.

Nolan Collins threw 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, falling one out short of a save when the Keydets loaded the bases in the top of the ninth. Drew Blakely went 3-5 and Ciufo also had three hits and a walk.

VMI (2-5) hosts VCU Sunday at 3 p.m. in another non-conference contest.