A bad-hop RBI double with two outs in the eighth inning broke a 6-6 tie and sent the Old Dominion Monarchs over the VMI Keydets, 7-6, in non-conference baseball action Wednesday in Norfolk, Va.
The Keydets (4-8) had taken a 6-5 lead in the top of the inning, but singles by Connor Myers and Mike Perez off Micah Gorman started the bottom half of the frame for ODU (10-7). After a sacrifice bunt, Taylor Edens relieved and Kurt Sinnen plated the tying run with an infield out. P.J. Higgins followed with a hard ground ball down the third base line that took a bad hop past third baseman Thomas Stallings, allowing Perez to score to give the Monarchs the lead.
VMI moved the tying run into scoring position with two outs in the ninth, but Stallings flew out to right field to end the game.
On the mound, Gorman (0-1) took the loss due to the eighth-inning runs, while reliever Zach Rutherford pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed just one baserunner to earn the victory.
The Keydets drew first blood, scoring in the first inning for the second straight game. Jordan Tarsovich singled with one out, and Tyler Tharp grounded into a fielder’s choice. Matt Winn legged out a infield hit and Ray Lopez walked, loading the bases for Stallings, who drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch to plate the game’s first run.
ODU responded with four runs in the second, helped by three walks. Rutherford had a two-run double and Higgins drove in two with a single.
Tarsovich then led off the third with a line drive single to right that snuck under the glove of right fielder Connor Myers. The ball went to the wall for a two-base error, allowing Tarsovich to go to third. He would then score on a misplayer grounder off the bat of Tyler Tharp, making it 4-2.
ODU scored once in the fourth, but the Keydets tallied twice in the fifth, and again, Tarsovich was the instigator. He led off with a walk and stole second. Tharp then drilled a double to left center, scoring a run and curring the lead to one. One out later, Lopez drove in a run with a infield hit, making it 5-4.
VMI finally tied it in the seventh. Tarsovich led off with a single and one out later, stole second. He moved to third on a wild pitch, and with the infield in, Winn struck out. Lopez, however, delivered with a RBI triple down the right-field line, tying the score at 5-all.
The Keydets took the lead in the eighth, helped by the home team’s defense. Will Connerley led off the inning with a fly ball to center that clanged off the glove of outfielder Justin Hayes, allowing the Keydet to reach second. Josh Worthley pinch-hit and bunted Connerley to third. One out later, David Geary singled to plate Connerley for a 6-5 Keydet lead and set the stage for the ODU rally.
Offensively, VMI was led by Tarsovich, who went 3 for 4 with a walk, two stolen bases and three runs scored. Lopez reached base in all five of his plate appearances.
Higgins and Perez had two hits apiece for the home team.
Neither starter figured in the decision, after Eric Byrd gave up five runs in 3 2/3 innings for the Keydets. He walked six and allowed three hits. Nate Matheson pitched into the fifth inning for ODU, giving up four runs (three earned) on four walks and four hits.
VMI baseball will return to action Friday, when the Keydets open SoCon play against the Wofford Terriers. First pitch in Spartanburg, S.C. is set for 6 p.m.
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