Game Notes: VMI hosts Western Carolina in Sunday doubleheader

Frigid weather forced the postponement of Saturday’s Game 2 between VMI (16-18, 1-6) and Western Carolina (15-13, 6-1 SoCon), meaning we get to play two on Sunday at Gray-Minor Stadium in Lexington, Va.

Game 1 begins at noon with Augusta Free Press editor Chris Graham joining Wade Branner on the call of the game on ESPN 3.

Game 2 will begin 30 minutes after the first game and will be broadcast on the SoCon Digital Network.

 

Starting pitchers

Game 1
VMI LHP Brandon Barbery (3-3, 5.30 ERA, 20K/11BB in 37.1 IP, .282 opponent batting average)
WCU LHP Bryan Sammons (4-1, 5.52 ERA, 41K/19BB in 45.2 IP, .306 opponent batting average)

Game 2
VMI RHP Josh Winder (3-3, 3.94 ERA, 39K/7BB in 45.2 IP, .262 opponent batting average)
WCU LHP Tristan Baker (3-2, 3.94 ERA, 19K/15BB in 32 IP, .310 opponent batting average)

 

Players to watch

VMI
David Geary: .351/.449/.588, 2HR, 29RBI, 22 extra-base hits, 6-of-8 SB
Matt Pita: .328/.397/.616, 7HR, 27RBI, 7-of-9 SB
Collin Fleischer: .287/.422/.557, 8HR, 29RBI, 4-of-5 SB
Peyton Maddox: .278/.394/.530, 8HR, 25RBI
Will Malbon: .183 batting average, but 10-of-11 SB

Western Carolina
Matt Smith: .409/.476/.636, 7HR, 28RBI
Kramer Farrell: .349/.421/.557, 4HR, 30RBI
Garrett Brown: .345/.383/.478, 20-of-22 SB
Bryson Bowman: .343/.444/.775, 10HR, 34RBI

 

Game 1: Western Carolina 7, VMI 1

Western Carolina hit five home runs and never trailed en route to a 7-1 win over VMI Friday night.

Second-inning home runs for Matt Smith and Kramer Ferrell were all Western would need, but the visiting Catamounts tacked on two more in the third and notched a three-spot in the seventh to account for their scoring.

The Keydets threatened throughout, as they left 18 runners on base in the loss. VMI had four chances with the bases loaded in the contest and scored just one run, that coming on a third-inning Jacob Jaye ground ball.