The VMI baseball team led in the ninth inning, but James Madison University pushed across two runs in the final frame Tuesday afternoon to defeat the Keydets 5-4 in non-conference action.
The score was tied at three after eight. Noah Cook led off the ninth with a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a fly ball with two outs. He scored on a wild pitch as VMI took a 4-3 lead. The Dukes rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth without registering a hit.
The Keydets struck for two runs in the top of the first inning. Jake Huggins and Nathan Loyd singled with two outs and following a wild pitch, Will Knight brought both runners home with a two-run single.
VMI added to its lead in the fourth, when Loyd took a 3-1 pitch and drilled it over the right-field fence for his second homer of the season.
The Dukes scored one in the bottom of the fourth and tied the contest with a two-run home run from Brady Harju.
The VMI defense snuffed out a JMU threat in the bottom of the eighth, as Michael Spence picked off a runner and senior catcher Ryan Smoot caught another runner stealing.
Freshman left-hander Nathan Light started on the hill and worked five strong innings, allowing just one run, two hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Loyd, Don Goodes and Cook each had two hits and Loyd scored twice. JMU had only six hits, but drew five walks and had four HBP.
VMI (2-7) travels to Old Dominion University Wednesday at 3 p.m.
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Chris Graham
