The VMI Keydets scored two in the first inning and, powered by home runs by Jordan Tarsovich and Ray Lopez, led wire to wire to take the opener of a SoCon doubleheader from The Citadel Bulldogs, 10-6, Sunday at Riley Park in Charleston, S.C. The win pulled VMI (14-22, 7-7 SoCon) back to .500 in conference play for the first time since April 25 of last season.
Much like in the series opener Friday, the Keydets jumped out to the early lead by scoring in the first inning. This time, however, the two runs provided a lead they would not surrender.
The home runs by Tarsovich and Lopez pushed the Keydets out to an 8-1 edge in the sixth, and Andrew Woods allowed just two hits until the bottom of the frame, when Connor Walsh got to him for a three-run home run to cut the lead to four. That was as close as The Citadel (18-23, 3-11) would get as TJ Lighton and Taylor Edens combined to retire the final five batters.
Woods picked up the win by going seven innings and allowing four runs, three of which came on the Walsh home run. He walked three and struck out eight. JP Sears took the loss, as he surrendered six runs (five earned) in 5 2/3 innings.
The Keydets jumped ahead quickly as Lopez led off with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch. Tarsovich followed with a RBI single to put the Keydets up, 1-0. Two outs later, Matt Winn walked, Tyler Tharp singled and Will Connerley had a ground ball single that just eluded shortstop Johnathan Stokes for a RBI and a 2-0 lead.
The Citadel cut the margin in half in the bottom of the inning, when Mike Deese led off with a double, moved to third on a infield out and scored on Walsh’s groundout.
VMI scored again in the third when Tarsovich hit a long home run down the left field line that just stayed fair for his eighth home run and a 3-1 Keydet lead. Lopez then homered in the fourth, his first career home run, for a 5-1 Keydet advantage.
The visitors then tallied three more runs in the sixth. Collin Fleischer pounded a one-out double and one out later, Brandon Angus seemingly struck out to end the inning. The ball eluded catcher Stephen Windham, whose throw to first was in the path of Angus and eluded Walsh at first base for an error. Fleischer scored for a 6-1 lead, and David Geary would plate two unearned runs with a single later in the inning to make it an 8-1 contest.
Walsh’s home run cut the margin to four in the bottom of the sixth, but VMI added two more in the seventh. Fleischer drove in a run with a single and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Thomas Stallings to make it a 10-4 game. Jason Smith drove a ground-rule double to deep left to score two runs in the sixth, but Lighton and Edens combined to shut the door and preserve VMI’s victory.
Offensively, Tarsovich and Tyler Tharp had three hits apiece to pace VMI, while Matt Winn extended his hitting streak to 14 consecutive games. Deese and Austin Mapes had two hits apiece for the Bulldogs.
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