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VMI Rallies For Doubleheader Split Against Liberty

LEXINGTON, Va.- After dropping a 12-3 decision in the opening contest of the doubleheader, senior reliever Jeff DeMara and junior third baseman Kelly Sweppenhiser led a VMI rally in game two, as the Keydets fought back for an 11-9 victory against Liberty Sunday afternoon at Patchin Field. The Keydets scored in every inning as they improved to 21-24 on the season and 6-12 in the Big South, while Liberty's record now stands at 25-16 and 9-9 in the Big South Conference.

With the win in game two, VMI moves into a tie for sixth place in the Big South standings with Radford and High Point. The Keydets will face both the Highlanders and Panthers over the final weeks of the season, as each of those teams battle it out for one of the six spots in the 2005 Bojangle's Big South Conference Baseball Championship.

The Flames jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the third inning of game two when junior third baseman Chad Miller (Wheat Ridge, Colo./Arapahoe CC) hit his fourth home run of the weekend, a grand slam to right-center field off of DeMara (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge), who had come in earlier in the at-bat to relieve starter Duke Acors.

DeMara would settle down after that, pitching the final 6.1 innings, allowing only one more run after Miller's blast. He struck out four batters while allowing eight hits to improve to 5-2 on the season. Taking the loss for Liberty was Phillip Thompson (Ringold, Va./Dann River), who came on in the sixth inning and allowed a pair of runs on three hits. Thompson fell to 3-2 on the season.

“I'm very proud of the way our guys maintained their composure after losing the first game of the doubleheader and then falling behind 8-4 early in the second game,” said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry. “We did a good job of putting pressure on them and scoring runs in every inning that we came up in. Jeff DeMara did an outstanding job today coming in for Duke in the third inning. I told him that it was his game to win, and he did that for us. I was very impressed with what he did with his team battling to make the conference tournament; that is what you want your seniors to do.”

Sweppenhiser (Herndon, Pa./Line Mountain) had the go-ahead shot in the eighth inning, as he led off the frame with his 11th home run of the season to break a 9-9 tie on the third pitch of the at-bat. Sweppenhiser ended up with a 5-for-6 day at the plate in the second contest, driving in three runs while scoring a pair while also collecting his 16th double of the season. Freshman second baseman Shane Geisslinger went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, while senior shortstop Matt Smith and sophomore catcher Chase Buchanan each collected a pair of hits as well.

“I thought Kelly, Shane and B.T. (Good) each did a great job of setting the table for us,” said Ikenberry. “Matt Smith came up with a big pair of doubles too. I was glad to see what our offense was able to do against their lefthander today.”

For the Flames, sophomore right fielder Phillip John (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) collected three hits, while Miller was one of four Flames to have a pair of hits. Miller wrapped up the contest with a 2-for-3 outing with a walk, two home runs and five RBI.

In game one, Liberty took control of the game early and never relinquished it. After the Keydets grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a bunt single by Good, the Flames answered with three runs in the second, two runs in the fourth, three in the seventh and four in the ninth before VMI could scratch out two more runs in the bottom of the ninth.

Earning the win for Liberty was senior starter Chris Zuvich (Wilmington, Calif./Golden West College), who worked 7.2 innings, scattering five hits and allowing only one run while striking out six to improve to 6-2. VMI starter J.J. Hollenbeck (Vienna, Va./James Madison) took the loss, allowing only five hits but walking four batters, allowing five runs and striking out five to fall to 2-5.

Thane Smith and Robert Crumpler were the only Keydets to notch multiple hits in game one, as the team only had seven hits in the contest. For the Flames, junior left fielder Phillip Laurent had a pair of home runs, both solo shots, while sophomore shortstop Patrick Gaillard went 3-for-4 with three RBI in the game.

The Keydets now have a week and a half off as they tackle exams, and are scheduled to return to action on Wednesday, May 11, as they travel to Norfolk to take on Old Dominion in a 7 p.m. start.
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