LEXINGTON, Va. - Clinging to a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, VMI (9-5) centerfielder Brandon Massenburg (Prince George, Va. / Prince George) connected on a grand slam that broke the game wide open and carried the Keydets to a 9-5 victory over Lafayette College (0-3) Sunday afternoon at Patchin Field.
The win gave VMI a three-game series sweep over the Leopards and extend its winning streak to six games.
Lafayette jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning, but the Keydets tied the score with an RBI single from shortstop Matt Smith (Chesapeake, Va. / Great Bridge) in the bottom of the second inning and then from first baseman Jon Wade (Marietta, Ga. / Harrison) in the third.
VMI starting pitcher Jimmy Thoms (Newport News, Va. / Denbigh) settled down after the second inning and cruised up until the seventh - retiring 11 straight batters at one point.
"Jimmy Thoms did a great job settling down after that second inning," VMI baseball head coach
Marlin Ikenberry said. "He made some great pitches to get out of some tough jams."
The Leopards reclaimed the lead in the seventh when they scratched out a run to make the score 3-2.
VMI answered back in its half of the inning as left fielder Jacoby Fields (Prince George, Va. / Prince George) and pinch-hitter
Jonathan Hadra (Richmond, Va. / Atlee) both came through with RBI singles to set the score at 4-3.
"I'm proud of the way our guys played and competed all weekend," Ikenberry said. "I'm really pleased with Matt Smith's performance in the three games."
Smith went 3-for-4 with a double in the game and for the series went 6-for-11 with three RBI's.
Josh Owens (Sandston, Va. / Benedictine) (1-0) earned his first win of the season out of the bullpen for the Keydets.
VMI travels to Richmond on Wednesday to battle the Spiders (first pitch is 2:00 p.m.), and then open a three game weekend series on Friday against Norfolk State at Patchin Field.
LHP Richard Litwin (Virginia Beach, Va. / Ocean Lakes) is the scheduled starter for the Keydets on Wednesday against Richmond.
-VMI-
