Baseball VMIKeydets.com

Keydets Record First Big South Sweep; Take Game Three from High Point 5-4

LEXINGTON, Va.- The VMI baseball team made Senior Day one to remember, as the Keydets came from behind for the third straight day in handing High Point a 5-4 loss Sunday afternoon at Patchin Field. The win gives VMI their first-ever sweep in a Big South Conference series and improves their overall record to 24-25 and 9-12 in league play. High Point falls to 18-33 overall and wraps up their conference season at 6-18.

High Point freshman rightfielder Bobby Brown did all he could at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI, but the Panthers could not deny the steady offensive approach of the Keydets, who put up two runs in the fourth, then single tallies in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings to rally for yet another conference victory.

Three Panther errors led to three unearned runs for VMI, as the Keydets scored three of their five runs with two outs. Senior shortstop Matt Smith (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge) had an RBI double in the fourth inning with two outs, while sophomore first baseman Robert Crumpler (Suffolk, Va./Nansemond-Suffolk) came up with a pair of two-out RBI with his double down the left field line in the sixth inning and a single to right field in the eighth.

“Robert Crumpler really came through with a pair of big hits with two outs in the game, and Matt Smith came up big as well,” said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry. “Josh Owens and J.J. Hollenbeck did a great job on the mound, our plan going into the game was to have each of them go twice through the lineup, then bring in Jeff DeMara to close it out, which is pretty much how things worked out for us. But I am real proud of these guys and how they competed all weekend. They really focused the entire series, and it turned out to be a great weekend for VMI Baseball.”

Once again, the Keydets fell behind early, as senior starter Josh Owens (Sandston, Va./Benedictine) allowed a solo homer to Brown in the second inning, then a two-run shot to Brown in the fourth. However, the Keydet offense came alive in the fourth inning, thanks to back-to-back errors by the Panthers. Junior centerfielder B.T. Good led off the inning with a walk, then moved to second base on a throwing error by the leftfielder. The next ball again found freshman Brett Lazar playing left field for High Point, who could not come down with the catch on a fly ball, allowing Good to come around to score and putting Shane Geisslinger on second base. Two batters later, Matt Smith's double down the line brought home Geisslinger to cut the Panther advantage to 3-2.

Junior J.J. Hollenbeck (4-5) came on in the fifth inning in relief of Owens, who allowed three runs on five hits, walking two and striking out one in four innings of work. Hollenbeck would again surrender only one hit in relief, this time in four innings, while striking out three batters to earn his second win of the weekend. However, he didn't do it by himself, as the late innings saw numerous brilliant fielding plays turned in by the Keydets, including outstanding plays on fly balls by Good, Erbe and Geisslinger.

“Our defense did a great job of making plays at game time, those plays in the late innings were a big part of us hanging on to win this one,” said Ikenberry.

The Keydets continued to put the pressure on in the fifth, but they could only manage one run despite having four men reach base. Following an RBI single by Good, the Keydets had the bases loaded with only one out, but could not respond against senior reliever Matt Kniginyzky, who came on to end the threat and keep the game knotted at three.

But VMI would claim the lead in the sixth, after junior third baseman Kelly Sweppenhiser continued his hot series, singling to center field. Crumpler's double down the left field line then scored Sweppenhiser with the go-ahead run. But the Keydet offense didn't stop there, grabbing an important insurance run in the eighth inning, when Crumpler's single scored Thane Smith on a full count to give the Keydets a 5-3 lead going into the ninth inning.

For the 26th time this season, the Keydets brought in senior closer Jeff DeMara to finish out the contest, and the school's all-time leader in career saves came through yet again. After surrendering a leadoff single to Brown, DeMara induced a flyout by Lazar before allowing a double down the left field line by pinch-hitter Jon Pavlack. With runners at second and third base with only one out, DeMara bared down to retire the final two batters of the game, the first on a sacrifice fly that scored Brown, then on a popout in foul territory gloved by Sweppenhiser to preserve the win and the sweep. DeMara claimed his sixth save of the season, moving to within one of the single-season save record.

Three Keydets had multiple hit days, as Thane Smith, Sweppenhiser and Crumpler each collected two base knocks. Crumpler had two RBI, while Sweppenhiser scored a pair of runs as well. Sweppenhiser ended the weekend by going 5-for-9 with four walks and a pair of hit by pitches, reaching base 12 of the 15 times he came to the plate in the series.

Taking the loss for the Panthers was sophomore Matt Christie (0-1), who made his first start of the season, going 4.1 innings while giving up three runs, only one earned, on four hits while striking out three batters. Mark Shorey came on to face one batter before Kniginyzky pitched the final 3.2 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, while striking out five Keydets.

The Keydets will look to even up their record and tie the school record for wins in a season Tuesday afternoon against Georgetown. The game is VMI's final home contest of the season, and is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start at Patchin Field. Fans can follow all the game action on www.vmikeydets.com or on WREL 1450 AM, as Wade Branner provides the play-by-play.
Print Friendly Version