BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Birmingham-Southern's Jonathan Sanford's sixth inning ground out scored Jared Walker from third base and put the Panthers up 4-2 as BSC held on to defeat VMI baseball 6-3 Sunday afternoon at Scrushy-Striplin Field.

After posting two runs in the first inning and another in the fifth, the Panther's (15-5, 3-0 Big South) led 3-2 before Walker led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a triple and scored what turned out to be the game-winning run.

Junior Elliott Erbe (Portsmouth, Va. / Western Branch) put the Keydets (15-10, 0-3 Big South) on the board in the top of the sixth inning with a two-run pinch-hit homer (6) that cut the Panthers lead to 3-2.

Trailing 4-2 in the top of the eighth inning, Erbe came through again with an RBI double to put VMI behind by just a run, 4-3.

BSC broke the game open in the bottom of the eighth inning when Scott Billak drove home a run with a double and Matt Bogue drove another run home with a sacrifice fly, making the score 6-3.

VMI threatened in the ninth inning when they loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batsman, but the Keydets failed to pull it out.

Mac Godwin (3-1) started on the hill for the Panthers and took the win, allowing one earned run on three hits over seven innings.

VMI starter Jimmy Thoms (Newport News, Va. / Denbigh) (2-1) suffers his first loss of 2004, as he was charged with four earned runs in his six innings of work.

The Keydets' loss gives the Panthers the three-game series sweep and extends their overall winning streak to 15 games.

The Keydets travel to Norfolk, Va. on Tuesday for a make-up game with Old Dominion University.

The first pitch is set for 7:00 p.m.

- VMI -