The Wofford Terriers scored twice in the eighth inning to edge away in a close game and went on to defeat the VMI Keydets, 5-2, in Southern Conference baseball action Friday night at King Field in Spartanburg, S.C. The game was the SoCon opener for both schools.
Kody Ruedisili led off the eighth inning by reaching on a Thomas Stallings error, and then stole second off Taylor Edens. Conor Clancey followed with a double off the left-center field wall, but Ruedisili, thinking the ball would be caught by a sprinting Ray Lopez in left field, held at third base. Max McDougald, however, followed with a two-run double over the bag at third base that made it 5-2, Wofford, and accounted for the final margin.
Starting pitcher Jared Silva (1-1) took the loss for VMI (4-9, 0-1 SoCon) after allowing three runs, all earned, in six innings in his first career weekend start. Matt Milburn (5-0) was the winner, as he held VMI to three hits in allowing two runs and striking out five. Milburn did issue an uncharacteristic four walks, one of which scored in the fourth inning. Will Stillman picked up his seventh save, striking out all four hitters he retired in 1 1/3 innings.
VMI took the lead in the second, when Matt Winn led off the frame by blasting Milburn’s first pitch over the left-center field wall. Winn’s third home run of the year staked Silva to a 1-0 lead, but Wofford rallied in the bottom of the frame. Matt Pelt led off with a walk and two outs later, stole second. He moved to third on a wild pitch and after a walk to Clancey, Pelt scored on a sacrifice bunt by McDougald to tie the game, 1-1.
The Keydets retook the lead in the fourth, when Lopez led off with a walk. He promptly stole second and third and scored on a wild pitch, making it 2-1, VMI. After two walks sandwiched around a sacrifice bunt, the Keydets had runners at first and second with one out, but Milburn induced a 4-6-3 double play off the bat of Brian Dudeck Jr. to end the inning.
The Terriers took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth. Carson Wain led off with a single and Ruedisili followed with a hit as well. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners up, and after a walk to McDougald, shortstop Derek Hirsch singled home two runs to give Wofford a 3-2 lead.
Wofford put a runner in scoring position with two out in the sixth and did not score, and then loaded the bases with one out against Edens in the seventh, only to be turned away again. VMI mounted a rally in the eighth, as David Geary led off with a walk. Jordan Tarsovich grounded into a fielder’s choice and was picked off by Milburn, a costly play as Tyler Tharp followed with a double to right center. That brought Stillman out of the bullpen and he walked Ray Lopez on a 3-2 pitch that went to the backstop, putting runners at the corners with two out, but Winn struck out to end the inning and Wofford pulled away in the eighth.
Offensively, Wofford (19-5, 1-0 SoCon) was led by McDougald’s 2 for 3, three RBI game. VMI did not have a player with multiple hits on the night.
VMI baseball will return to action Saturday, when the Keydets resume their series at Wofford at 3 p.m.
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