Baseball VMIKeydets.com

Keydets Roll in Conference Opener 23-0 over UNC Asheville

LEXINGTON, Va.- Senior Duke Acors threw seven innings of shutout baseball, giving up only three hits, while the Keydet bats exploded for a season-high number of runs as the VMI baseball team won their Big South Conference opener 23-0 over UNC Asheville Friday afternoon at Patchin Field.

VMI (10-10, 1-0 Big South) had eight of their nine starters record multiple hits, including junior third baseman Kelly Sweppenhiser, who raised his batting average to .443 with a perfect 4-for-4 day at the plate, hitting two home runs while driving four runs and scoring four runs. The Keydets hit five home runs on the day and scored in six of the eight innings they came to bat in.

UNC Asheville (4-12, 0-4 Big South) dropped their sixth straight contest, with their last win coming on March 9, when they defeated #6 Florida 8-5 in their second game in Gainesville. Taking the loss for the Bulldogs was freshman Alan DeRatt (0-3), who gave up 11 runs, only two of them earned, in only 2.2 innings of work.

“Overall, what a great win for us today,” said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry. “To get our first conference win on opening day is a great way to build momentum. Today is the first day of spring break for the guys, so they've had to deal with a lot of adversity. But I was extremely impressed with their preparation in pre-game today, they came out focused, and it showed in today's game.”

After struggling with his control in the first inning, Acors (2-1) settled down in the following innings and allowed only one hit between the third and seventh innings. He also struck out a season-high nine batters as he moved ahead of Phil Hendrix to become the all-time leader in career strikeouts at VMI, as he has now notched 219 in his three-plus seasons at the Institute.

“I thought Duke Acors did a nice job today,” said Ikenberry. “He was a little wild early, but he really settled down and regained his composure. And I'm real excited for him to get the all-time strikeout record. Duke's been a workhorse for us ever since he got here four years ago. He looked great today, and I know that he'll be the leading a lot more categories before he finishes up his career here.”

The Keydet bats got rolling early and never stopped. In the first inning, an error by the rightfielder extended the inning, as two runs came around to score when Robert Crumpler lofted a ball to right field that was dropped. Crumpler then came around to score when Thane Smith singled down the left field line, as VMI jumped on top 3-0 after one inning.

After a 1-2-3 second inning, VMI put the game out of reach in the third. Sweppenhiser's first home run of the day was a solo shot to left field that was followed up by a surprising bunt single by clean-up hitter Elliott Erbe. Crumpler then reached for the second time on an error, as the shortstop was guilty this time. After another single by Thane Smith loaded the bases, B.T. Good came up with a two-run single to break the game open, giving the Keydets a 6-0 lead.

“B.T. had a great day for us,” said Ikenberry. “His hit in the third inning really broke the game open. He had been struggling a little bit, but he did a good job of driving the ball the other way, just like we've been working with him on all week.”

Stephen Parsons' sacrifice fly then brought home Thane Smith, followed by an RBI single by Shane Geisslinger. After Matt Smith walked, Jacoby Fields stepped to the plate and stroked his first home run of the season, a three-run shot to left-center field to give the Keydets an 11-0 lead in the third inning.

It was more of the same in the fourth, when Ryan Stewart moved to the mound for the Bulldogs. Robert Crumpler took the first pitch he saw over the centerfield fence, as his leadoff home run was his third of the season. After a strikeout by Thane Smith, seven of the next eight Keydet hitters reached base, the last of which was Crumpler, whose two-run double gave him three RBI in the fourth inning alone.

Two-run home runs by Klint Reed in the sixth and Sweppenhiser in the seventh brought the VMI lead to 22-0, then an RBI single in the eighth by Geisslinger brought the final margin to 23-0.

After Acors' performance through seven innings, senior Richard Litwin came on to close out the game for VMI, allowing only two hits while striking out two batters in two innings of work.

“I was very impressed with the job Richard Litwin did today,” said Ikenberry. “It was good to see him command the strike zone, it looks like he may have turned a corner. It was great to see our two seniors step up on the mound for us today.”

The Bulldogs committed a season-high five errors in the game, leading to 12 unearned runs. Five Bulldogs recorded single hits on the day, with the only extra-base hit coming from Elliott Arrington, when he doubled in the second inning, only to be stranded two batters later.

DeRatt gave up 11 runs on nine hits in 2.2 innings, striking out two and walking one. Stewart relieved DeRatt in the end of the third inning and lasted only one inning, giving up seven runs, all earned on seven hits. Andrew Alexander pitched the final 4.1 innings for the Bulldogs, giving up five runs, two earned, on five hits while striking out three.

Good and Geisslinger each ended up with three hits on the day from the seventh and ninth spots in the lineup, respectively. Fields went 2-for-4 with four RBI and three runs scored, while Erbe, Crumpler, Thane Smith and Parsons each recorded a pair of hits on the day as well.

After his perfect day at the plate, Sweppenhiser now leads the team in batting average (.443), home runs (6), RBI (20), slugging percentage (.785), doubles (9), runs (21) and hits (35).

The Keydets and Bulldogs return to action Saturday afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. at Patchin Field in the second contest of the three-game weekend series.
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