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Keydet Baseball Team Falls to Florida State 8-2 in Season-Opener on Friday

Tallahassee, Fla.- The VMI baseball team fell behind 2-0 after two innings and went on to suffer an 8-2 loss in its season-opener at Florida State on Friday. The Keydets, who were hurt by 10 runners left on base, pulled to within 2-1 by scoring their first run in the third inning. However, VMI would never have the lead in the game as the Seminoles took game one of the three-game weekend series.

Sophomore center fielder Thane Smith (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial) and senior shortstop Matt Smith (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) paced the Keydets offensively combining for 5 of their 11 hits. Thane Smith went 3-for-4 with one RBI while Matt Smith finished 2-for-5 with one run scored.

Meanwhile, Aaron Cheesman and Shane Robinson both recorded multi-hit games for Florida State and Mark Sauls (1-0) picked up the win as the Seminoles improved to 4-0 for the first time since 2000.

Sauls went five innings for Florida State and allowed just one run, the first given up by a Seminole starter in 16.2 innings. The junior struck out five and issued just two walks. Sophomore Brian Schultz saw his first action of the year and picked up the save going four innings. He struck out one batter and issued just one walk.

Robinson went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored, and an RBI. Cheesman went 2-for-3 with one extra base hit.

Freshmen Tony Thomas, Jr. and Nick Francis each played well with Francis going 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored while Thomas went 2-for-3 with the two RBI.

Just like he did in his first outing of the season, Sauls breezed through the top of the first, sending VMI down in order with two outs coming via strike outs. Robinson then got things started for FSU in the bottom of the first by doubling down the left field line. After VMI starter, senior Duke Acors (Richmond, Va./Atlee), got Gibbs Chapman, Cheesman continued his tear singling to right center and driving in a run. Ryne Malone drew a walk and Josh Spivey singled but the freshman got caught trying to stretch it into a double for the second out leaving runners on second and third before Acors ended the threat on a strike out.

The Keydets recorded their first two hits of the game in the top of the second but VMI didn't threaten to break up the shutout as Sauls ended the inning with his third strikeout of the game. Thomas came up in the bottom of the frame and recorded the first hit of his career in the second and stole a base. Robinson then came up big once again. He doubled for the second time in the game scoring Thomas and putting FSU up 2-0.

In the top of the third, VMI looked to cut into the FSU lead as two more singles put runners on the corners with just one away. A sacrifice fly by senior right fielder Elliott Erbe (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) produced the second out and the first run of the day for the Keydets as Matt Smith crossed home plate. The fifth hit of the day put runners on first and third before Sauls' first walk of the game loaded the bases. The junior fought his way out of danger though with a grounder to second base ending the top of the third.

While the third inning was a struggle for Sauls, the junior cruised through the fourth sending VMI down in order including his fourth and fifth strike outs of the game.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Seminoles added to their lead. Chapman started the inning off with a walk and was followed by Cheesman who doubled down the left field line. Malone then plated FSU's third run on a sacrifice fly to right. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases with only one out but Acors got the next hitter leaving FSU with the sacks full and two outs. Francis came through though as he blooped a single into shallow right field plating two runs and putting FSU in front 5-1. Thomas then followed with a double to the warning track in center field clearing the bases for a 7-1 lead.

Schultz (1) came into the game in the sixth and gave up a couple of hits but kept the Keydets at bay until the eighth. VMI cut into the lead when Schultz gave up a single and a double after a walk to cut the FSU advantage to 7-2. Sophomore designated hitter Jacoby Field (Prince George, Va./Prince George) supplied the run on a one-out RBI single by Thane Smith. The Keydets were unable to do any more damage versus Schultz as the sophomore finished his third inning of work.

FSU got the run back in the bottom of the eighth. Robinson recorded his third hit of the game and moved to third on back-to-back wild pitches. Brandon Manasa then scored the sophomore on a ground out to second.

VMI looks to bounce back in Saturday's game two set for 2:00 pm. with junior right-hander J.J. Hollenbeck (Madison, Va./James Madison) the probable starter for the Keydets. Florida State is expected to throw Tallahassee, FL native Michael Hyde (1-0) who is looking for his second win of the season. Game Tracker will be available for the contest along with a live radio broadcast available on the Internet at seminoles.com.

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