Matt Smith's RBI Hit in the Ninth Inning Gives Keydets 7-6 Victory in Baseball

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Matt Smith's RBI Hit in the Ninth Inning Gives Keydets 7-6 Victory in Baseball

LEXINGTON, Va. ? Trailing 6-4 in the bottom of the ninth inning, VMI (11-6) put together a three-run rally capped-off by shortstop Matt Smith's (Chesapeake, Va. / Great Bridge) game winning RBI single to over take Norfolk State University 7-6 Saturday afternoon at Patchin Field.

After first baseman Jon Wade (Marietta, Ga. / Harrison) and left fielder Jacoby Fields (Prince George, Va. / Prince George) led off the ninth by each getting on base, right fielder Elliott Erbe (Portsmouth, Va. / Western Branch) drove in Wade with a double to make the score 6-5.

Second baseman B.T. Good (Vienna, Va. / James Madison) followed with his fourth hit of the day to drive home Fields and tie the game 6-6.

Smith then connected for his game ending RBI single that drove in Erbe.

“We got a tough bunch of kids,” VMI head baseball coach Marlin Ikenberry said. “I'm proud of the way our guys fought back down by two in the ninth. They never thought we were out of the game.”

The Keydets held a 4-1 lead in the seventh inning, but the Spartans (6-11) battled back to score one in the sixth, three in the seventh and one more run in the top of the ninth inning hand VMI a 6-4 deficit.

Good ended up going 4-for-5 with a double and three RBI's in the game, while Wade record three hits in five at-bats.

Richard Litwin (Virginia Beach, Va. / Ocean Lakes) started the game for VMI and allowed two earned runs and struck out five in 6.1 innings while pitching on two days rest in an emergency start.

Josh Owens (Sandston, Va. / Benedictine) (2-0) grabbed the win in relief.

The game was delayed twice for rain.

The win is VMI's 10th straight at Patchin Field dating back to last season.

The Keydets go for the sweep Sunday when they host Norfolk State at 1:00 p.m.

RHP Jimmy Thoms (2-0, 5.40 ERA) will take the hill for VMI while NSU will throw RHP Anthony Boyer (1-0, 3.48 ERA).
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