Baseball: VMI splits Saturday doubleheader at East Tennessee State

VMI split a Southern Conference doubleheader Saturday at East Tennessee State, taking game one 6-3 but falling in the nightcap 7-2.

VMI scored six runs in the final three innings to rally from a 2-0 deficit in the opener. Trey Morgan singled to drive home Callen Nuccio in the seventh and later in the frame Zac Morris bunted Morgan home to tie the score at 2-2.

ETSU went ahead again with a run in the bottom of the seventh, but the Keydets tied it back up in the eighth frame as Nuccio drove Warner home. With the game tied 3-3 in the ninth, JT Inskeep led off with a home run. Morris singled and scored on a Ty Swaim double and Will Knight drove home Swaim with a two-out single. Morgan came on to pitch in the ninth and left two runners stranded to earn the save.

Jacob Menders got the start and allowed just one hit over 6 2/3 innings, with six strikeouts, four walks and two earned runs. Ryan Huffman earned the win, getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth.

Warner and Knight each had two hits, while Nuccio had a hit and a walk.

Ashton King went 2-5 with a double and three RBI for the Bucs.

ETSU jumped out to an early 2-0 again in the second game of the twinbill, and added a run in the fourth and three in the sixth to go ahead 6-0. VMI scored two in the ninth as Warner singled to drive in Morris and Nuccio brought Inskeep home.

Justin Starke was 2-4 with a double and a walk and Warner also had two hits. Morris doubled and reached base twice by HBP and Inskeep had a hit and a walk.

King went 3-4 with a double and a walk for ETSU (12-7/2-1). Nathanial Tate struck out 11 over six innings to earn the win, giving up just two hits, two walks and no earned runs.

VMI (5-11/1-2 SoCon) hosts the University of Richmond Tuesday at 6 p.m. in non-conference play.