Keydets Take Baseball Home Opener 17-2 Over Coppin State

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Keydets Take Baseball Home Opener 17-2 Over Coppin State

LEXINGTON, Va. ? The VMI baseball team (4-5) won its home opener on Friday afternoon by defeating Coppin State College (0-1) 17-2 at Patchin Field.

Four different Keydets drove in two or more runs, including second baseman B.T. Good (Vienna, Va. / James Madison) who broke a scoreless third inning with a solo home run.

“B.T. Good had two great at-bats in the third inning that helped us,” VMI baseball head coach Marlin Ikenberry said. “We lacked a little focus in the first two innings, but our hitters made good adjustments. It's great to get a victory on opening day at home.”

Starter Duke Acors (Richmond, Va. / Atlee) (1-2) notched his first win of the year by allowing just four hits and two runs, while striking out seven, over six innings.

Acors got into some early trouble when he walked the first three hitters of the game, but settled down to strike out the next three batters and VMI never looked back.

“It was great to see Duke Acors come out and pitch like the old Duke Acors,” Ikenberry added. “He had great velocity and a sharp break on his breaking ball. It was also good to finally get him some runs.”

The bulk of those runs came in the third inning when the Keydets put an eight-spot on the board.

After Good's home run, shortstop Matt Smith's (Chesapeake, Va. / Great Bridge) triple was followed by catcher Sean Seawell's (Spotsylvania, Va. / Spotsylvania) first home run of the year.

Later in the inning, left fielder Allan Wimmer (Vienna, Va. / James Madison) doubled in two runs, and in his second at-bat of the inning, Good added his second RBI of the with a single.

Third baseman Kelly Sweppenhiser (Herndon, Pa. / Line Mountain) connected for a three-run homer in the fourth inning to put the Keydets up 11-0.

After six more VMI runs in the sixth inning, the game was called after Coppin State batted in the seventh.

The Keydets have now scored 43 runs in their last three games.

Both teams will meet again at Patchin Field on Saturday for the second of their three game series. The first pitch is scheduled of 1:00 p.m.

RHP J.J. Hollenbeck (1-1, 8.25 ERA) will start for the Keydets while RHP Bryan Crossley (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will throw for the Eagles.
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