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Winthrop Takes Game Three 5-2, Sweeps Series from VMI

ROCK HILL, S.C.- Once again, a Winthrop pitcher had his way with the VMI bats, as junior right-hander Mike Honce carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, leading the Eagles to a 5-2 victory over the Keydets Sunday afternoon on another windy afternoon at the Winthrop Ballpark. With the win, Winthrop sweeps the series and improves to 29-13, 13-2 in the Big South, while VMI falls to 19-22, 5-10 in league play.

Honce retired the first 13 batters he faced while not allowing a hit until there was one out in the seventh inning. He struck out a total of seven batters, allowing only one hit and one run in 6.1 innings of work. He improved to 2-2 on the season, while John Wilson came on to pitch the final 2.2 innings, earning his third save of the season after allowing two hits and one run.

VMI senior starter Duke Acors took the loss, pitching four innings while giving up four runs, three earned, on five hits. Acors issued five walks while striking out four batters to fall to 2-3 on the season. Senior closer Jeff DeMara worked the final four innings for VMI, giving up six hits and one earned run in his 24th appearance of the season.

Chad Rice, Thane Smith and Jacoby Fields accounted for the three VMI hits on the day, as both Rice and Smith's went for doubles. For Winthrop, Jacob Dempsey and Kyle Roberson each went 2-for-4 to pace the Eagle offensive attack.

The Eagles got on the board in the first inning, when Chris Carrara led off the game with a walk, moved to second base on an errant pickoff throw, then moved to third base on a bunt single by Heath Rollins. Carrara plated the first run of the game on a Daniel Carte single to right field. However, the Keydets escaped further damage when Acors thwarted a safety squeeze attempt by retiring Rollins on his way home, then picking Kyle Roberson off of first base.

The Eagles then extended their lead to 3-0 in the second inning, as Ben Ehrlich brought home the first run with a groundout to second base, then a Carrara double to left field scored Matt Repec. In the fourth inning, Winthrop tacked on another run when Repec scored on a wild pitch by Acors.

The Keydets got on the scoreboard in the fifth, however, without the help of a base hit. Thane Smith walked with one out, then advanced to second base when B.T. Good grounded out to second base. Smith then scored on a groundball up the middle that was mishandled by the shortstop that also allowed Jacoby Fields to reach base.

VMI finally broke through with their first hit of the game in the seventh inning, when Fields reached on an infield single that moved Good to third base. However, with runners on the corners and only one out, John Wilson relieved Honce and induced a groundball double play, ending the inning without harm.

Winthrop went right back to work, advancing their lead to 5-1 in their half of the seventh, as Alan Robbins singled home Jacob Dempsey on the Eagles' third straight hit to lead off the inning. But that was the only damage Winthrop could manage, taking a four-run lead into the eighth.

The Keydets could only respond with one run the rest of the way, as Chad Rice led off the eighth inning with a double to right field, moved up a base on a groundout by Matt Smith, then scored as Kelly Sweppenhiser hit a sacrifice fly to center field, accounting for the only VMI RBI of the weekend. In the ninth, the Keydets put runners on first and second base with two outs, bringing the tying run to the plate, before Parsons popped up to the catcher on the first pitch he saw, ending the game and the series.

The Keydets return to action with the final contest of their eight-game road stretch Wednesday evening, when they travel to Blacksburg to take on ACC opponent Virginia Tech. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m., and all the action can be heard on WREL 1450 AM, as Wade Branner provides the play-by-play.
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