VMI Keydets drop opener of weekend series to Furman, 7-2

Home runs by Cameron Whitehead and Griffin Davis helped the Furman Paladins pull away for a 7-2 victory over the VMI Keydets in the opener of a three-game SoCon series between the clubs, contested Friday evening at Latham Stadium in Greenville, S.C.

Furman (13-15, 3-4 SoCon) led wire to wire after Davis’ two-run home run in the first inning that left fielder Will Connerley narrowly missed on a jumping attempt at the wall. The Keydets (7-16, 2-5) cut the margin in half in the fourth, but a fourth-run uprising by the Paladins in the bottom, highlighted by Whitehead’s two-run shot, broke the game open as Furman won the first game between the teams since 2003.

Both starting pitchers picked up decisions, with Austin Heenan falling to 0-3 with the loss. Heenan gave up seven runs, six earned, in seven innings. He walked four and struck out three. Matt Solter struck out eight in seven innings for the home team and allowed just one unearned run.

After Davis’ home run staked Solter to a 2-0 lead, the Keydets got on the board in the fourth. Tyler Tharp was hit by a pitch and Matt Winn doubled, putting two runners in scoring position with no outs. Connerley grounded out sharply to third baseman Chris Ohmstead, who was playing on the grass, forcing the runners to hold. Reid Bryant then hit a slow ground ball to first. Tharp broke on contact and was thrown out at the plate for the second out. VMI did get one run when shortstop Matt Towarnicky booted Drew Bryan’s potential inning-ending ground ball, and that run made it a 2-1 game.

Furman seized control in the bottom of the inning, when Ohmstead walked with one out. Jordan Simpson followed with a single and Blake Chisolm singled home a run. A sacrifice fly by Brandon Elmy made it a 4-1 game, and Whitehead followed with his two-run home run to left center, making it a 6-1 contest.

The Paladins added a run in the seventh, and the Keydets capped the scoring in the eighth. Brandon Angus led off with a walk, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error. He then scored on Tharp’s RBI single, accounting for the final margin.

Offensively, the Keydets were led by Winn and David Geary, who posted two hits apeice, while Jake Jones had two hits for the Paladins.

VMI baseball will conclude its series with Furman Saturday, as the two teams play a doubleheader in Greenville. Action gets underway at 1 p.m.