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VMI Beats Coppin State 7-6 in Opener of Doubleheader

LEXINGTON, Va. ? Senior right fielder Elliott Erbe's (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) sacrifice fly to center field in the top of the eighth inning scored senior shortstop Matt Smith (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) with the game-winning run as VMI defeated Coppin State 7-6 on Saturday afternoon at Patchin Field.

That game was to be the first of a doubleheader, however Saturday's second game was suspended due to darkness and will be completed on Sunday at 1:30 pm with VMI holding a 5-4 lead. That game will be followed immediately by the final game of the weekend series between the Keydets and Eagles.

Senior right-hander Jeff DeMara (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) came on in the top of the eighth inning with one out and went the rest of the way for VMI, facing just six batters and striking out three to pick up the win and improve to 2-0 on the season. DeMara struck out the only two batters he faced in the eighth, resulting in the Eagles stranding a runner at second.

Coppin State broke a scoreless tie in the top of the third with four runs on a pair of hits. The second hit was a three-run inside-the-park home run to right field by sophomore center fielder Corey Greene (Westminster, Md./South Carroll).

VMI answered in the bottom of the fourth, scoring five runs on four hits and one error. Sophomore first baseman Robert Crumpler (Suffolk, Va./Nansemond-Suffolk) led off with a single to right field. Freshman catcher Stephen Parsons (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) then belted a one-out single to center field moving Crumpler to second. Freshman Shane Geisslinger (Midlothian, Va./Clover Hill) then singled and advanced to second on a throwing error by the pitcher that allowed Crumpler to score. After Smith fouled out to first base for the second out of the frame, freshman designated hitter Klint Reed (Chesterfield, Va./L.C. Bird) and Erbe drew back-to-back walks with Erbe's based on balls scoring Parsons. Junior third baseman Kelly Sweppenhiser (Herndon, Pa./Line Mountain) then knocked a two-out bases-clearing double to put VMI in front 5-4.

The Keydets added to their lead with one run in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Geisslinger to right field scoring junior center fielder B.T. Good (Vienna, Va./James Madison) for a 6-4 lead.

The Eagles forced a 6-6 tie with two runs in the top of the eighth. Senior right fielder Nick Wenger (Harrisburg, Pa./Hagerstown Community College) hit an RBI double to left field scoring sophomore second baseman Anthony Williams (Baltimore, Md./Slippery Rock Univ.) who had led off the inning with a single. Greene then followed Wenger with an RBI groundout to second base that scored junior third baseman Justin Riggs (Silver Spring, Md./Springbrook) with the game-tying run. DeMara then came on to shut down the rally, setting the stage for VMI's decisive run in the bottom of the frame.

Sweppenhiser finished 3-for-5 and knocked in three runs to pace the Keydets on offense while Smith, Reed, and Crumpler had two hits apiece.

Coppin State was led by Wenger who went 2-for-4 and Greene who knocked in four runs.

The two teams will complete the second game of Saturday's doubleheader before playing one full nine-inning game on Sunday afternoon at Patchin Field. The completion of Saturday's second game will start at 1:30 pm with Sunday's single game set to start immediately afterwards.
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