A four-run fourth put VMI on top, but UNC rallied for a 7-5 win Thursday, eliminating the Keydets from contention for a bid in next week’s SoCon Tournament.
VMI (16-29/11-17SoCon) got on the board early as a Trey Morgan single brought home Will Knight in the first. The Spartans had four runs cross the plate in the bottom of the first to make it a 4-1 game.
The Keydets took the 5-4 advantage after scoring four runs of their own in the third. Knight singled to plate Cody Warner, and VMI took advantage of a passed ball and an error to add the other three runs.
UNCG scored two in the fourth and one in the fifth to take a 7-5 lead, and neither team would add a run the rest of the way.
Knight was 3-for-4 with a double and a triple. Will Lopez and JT Inskeep each tossed an inning of relief, not allowing a run, a hit or a walk.
Greg Hardison went 3-for-4 for UNCG (27-23/12-16 SoCon). Jared Mathewson threw 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the win and Austin Parsley worked 1 2/3 perfect innings to earn the save.
The teams will close out the 2021 regular season Friday with a doubleheader at 1 p.m.