The VMI offense continued to roll Sunday, pounding out 11 runs on 14 hits to complete a series sweep of the Lafayette Leopards with an 11-6 win at Gray-Minor Stadium. The Keydets have now won four consecutive games, and are off to their best start since 2014 at 5-2.
A three-run triple by Jake Huggins in the third gave the Keydets the lead for good, 5-3, and VMI added on from there, scoring once in the fourth, twice in the fifth and three more times in the seventh to blow the game open. Matt Dunlevy and Peyton Maddox went deep as the Keydets scored 10 unanswered runs before Lafayette (1-5) capped the scoring with a three-spot in the eighth.
Jacob Jaye led the way by going 4 for 4 with three runs scored, while Dunlevy chipped in with a 2 for 4 game to continue his scalding hot week. The senior has gone 7-12 over VMI’s past four games with 14 total bases, including two homers, and a .688 on-base percentage. All told, the Keydets have now scored at least eight runs in four straight games for the first time since May 10-15, 2015.
On the mound, Kyle Staats (1-0) got the win on a day that saw him take the hill with a limited pitch count. Staats went four innings and allowed three runs, striking out four. He did not issue a walk. John Cain (0-1) was the losing pitcher, as he was knocked out during VMI’s four-run third inning that turned the tide of the game. Cain was charged with five runs, all earned, in 2 2/3 innings of work.
Lafayette got a three-hit game from DH Dan Leckie, which included his second homer of the series.
With the victory, the Keydets have now won nine straight games against Lafayette and are off to their best start since going 7-2 to open the 2014 season. Interestingly, that start also saw VMI defeat an SEC school (Kentucky) and post a win over Virginia, much like this year has.
VMI baseball will return to action Tuesday, when the Keydets travel to Charlottesville to face the Virginia Cavaliers for the second time in a week. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
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