The Wofford Terriers used a five-run fourth inning to take the lead for good, on the way to an 8-4 win over the VMI Keydets in the middle game of a three-game SoCon series, contested Saturday in Lexington, Va.
VMI (25-22, 11-9) took a 3-1 lead to the fourth behind Zak Kent, but the Terriers (32-20, 12-8) sent 10 men to the plate in the frame on the way to putting up the decisive five-spot. Perhaps the biggest play of the inning came when Colin Davis reached on a three-base throwing error, all while attempting to sacrifice. The play allowed two runs to score.
Alec Cargin singled home a run and Mack Nathanson plated two with a two-run single to give Wofford a 6-3 lead. VMI got back within two on a RBI double by Will Malbon in the fourth, but Wofford scored single runs in the fifth and sixth to account for the final margin.
The Keydets jumped out to a 3-1 lead after three, helped by a Matt Pita leadoff homer in the third. VMI, however, left the bases loaded in the frame and would go on to leave 15 men on base on a day that saw the home team go 2 for 16 with runners in scoring position.
After Wofford took an 8-4 lead to the ninth, Jake Hershman retired the first two Keydets but walked Jacob Jaye and Jake Huggins. Callen Nuccio then singled, bringing up Nathan Eaton as the tying run, but Eaton got under a fly ball to left and Mack Nathanson snared it two steps in front of the warning track to end the game.
Eaton paced VMI by going 3 for 6 in his return to the lineup, while Nathanson and Cargin had two hits each for Wofford.
Kent (5-4) took the loss for the Keydets, as he gave up seven runs in four-plus innings. He walked six and struck out three. Austin Higginbotham pitched seven innings, allowing four runs (three earned) to get the win and move to 6-3.
Notably, the Keydets held Wofford – who entered the weekend second in Division I in steals – without a stolen base. It was only the sixth time all season that the Terriers had been prevented from stealing at least one base in a game.
VMI and Wofford will wrap up their series Sunday at 1 p.m.
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