Zach Tondi hit a two-run, walk-off home run to send the JMU Dukes past the VMI Keydets, 11-10, in non-conference baseball action Tuesday night at Eagle Field in Harrisonburg.
The Keydets (16-21) took a 10-8 lead to the bottom of the ninth, but Brett Johnson led off with a single. Chad Carroll pinch-ran and Kyle Mcpherson hit a hard grounder to second baseman Nathan Eaton that was booted for an error, putting runners on second and third. Carroll then scored on a wild pitch to make it a one-run game, and Tondi followed by launching an 0-1 pitch from Taylor Edens over the right-center field wall for a walkoff and the 11-10 JMU victory.
13 total pitchers saw action on a true staff day for both teams, but it was the final hurlers of the day who got the decisions. Edens dropped to 0-4 with the loss, while Michael Evans got the final two outs of the VMI ninth to move to 3-1.
The two teams were tied, 3-3, headed to the fifth, but Will Malbon greeted Tucker McCoy with a leadoff single and moved to second when the ball eluded right fielder Adam Sisk.
After a sacrifice bunt and a strikeout, Marlin Ikenberry went to right-hander Matt Marsili and the move backfired. Marsili walked Collin Fleischer and Matt Pita followed with a two-run triple to give the Keydets the lead for good. Tyler Tharp was hit by a pitch, bringing Christian Bourne out of the JMU bullpen, and one batter later, Matt Dunlevy singled home two more runs for a 7-3 lead. Jacob Jaye walked and Malbon followed with a three-run double that was lost in the lights by the JMU (14-19) outfield, capping the seven-run outburst.
All seven runs in the inning scored with two outs.
JMU then scored the game’s next five runs, but VMI’s Matthew Eagle struck out two hitters representing the potential tying run to end the seventh. Edens retired Bradley McKay with two on to end the eighth, but that just set the stage for Tondi’s drama in the ninth.
Offensively, JMU’s Johnson went 5 for 5 with three RBI to lead all hitters, while Malbon and Pita had three hits apiece for the visitors.
VMI baseball will return to action Friday, when the Keydets open a three-game series against Mercer in Macon, Ga. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
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