Although the VMI baseball team grabbed an early 3-0 lead, the Keydets surrendered nine runs in the eighth to allow host Wofford College to take the game, 13-3, in the same inning due to the 10-run rule Sunday afternoon at King Field in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
The Keydets (17-16, 4-5) won the series by way of taking games one and two Friday and Saturday, but came up short in the finale as the Terriers (17-16, 3-3) struck 15 hits and 11 RBI, including nine runs and seven hits in the eighth inning, to close the series with a win.
Facing two outs in the first inning, VMI catcher Peyton Maddox singled to shortstop to get on base and was brought in on a two-run homer to center by right fielder Tyler Tharp for the Keydets’ early 2-0 lead. Left fielder Ryan Hatten homered to left in the second to put the Keydets up, 3-0, after two innings.¬
The Terriers would tie the score at 3-3 in the fifth inning after scoring a run in the third and two in the fifth. Wofford scored a run in the seventh to go up, 4-3, before exploding in the eighth for nine runs to win by way of the 10-run rule.
Derek Tremblay relieved VMI starting pitcher Brandon Barbery in the eighth and was replaced by Blaine Lafin after four batters after giving up four earned runs on four hits. Lafin faced five batters and surrendered four earned runs on two hits before he was relieved by Jack Gomersall. After three batters and another Terrier earned run, VMI’s John Fuqua was inserted to try to finish out the rough inning for the Keydets. Wofford’s Carson Waln hit a sac fly to centerfield to score the deciding run by McClain Bradley that brought the game to its close.
VMI pitcher Brandon Barbery falls to 0-5 on the season while Wofford’s Matt Ellmyer improves to 1-1.
The Keydets have a few days off before opening a league series at home with Mercer beginning Thursday at 6 p.m. at Gray-Minor Stadium.
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