LEXINGTON, Va.- The frigid temperatures did nothing to cool down Kelly Sweppenhiser's bat, as he hit a three-run home run in the first inning on his way to a cycle in VMI's 10-8 win over Coppin State in non-conference baseball action on Sunday afternoon at Patchin Field.
Sweppenhiser went 4-for-4 with a walk, as his first inning shot was followed by a double in the third, a triple in the fifth, and a walk in the sixth. Then with two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the eighth, Sweppenhiser hit a ground ball between the third baseman and shortstop that neither could make a play on, rounding out VMI's first cycle in approximately 20 years.
Meanwhile, the Keydets (5-3) took control in the fifth inning of a back-and-forth contest, pounding out five runs on six hits to take a 10-6 lead. Sophomore lefty Trey Barham (1-1) earned the win in relief, striking out seven while allowing only two hits in 4.1 innings. Junior Ian Casher came in to record the final out of the contest, earning his first save on a strikeout.
The Eagles (0-6-1) rallied late, bringing the winning run to the plate in the ninth inning, but could not get any closer than two runs after the Keydets' fifth-inning rally. Offensively, CSU was led by Paul Conway, whose three-run homer in the second inning gave the Eagles the lead, as he ended up going 1-for-3 with a walk and four RBI on the afternoon. Earning the loss was Alex Hangland (0-1) who went pitched the fourth and fifth innings, allowing six hits and five runs to VMI.
“Coppin State did a good job of catching us on our heels and making us field the baseball in the first inning,” said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry. “We've been doing a good job of fielding so far this season, but made two errors in the first inning to allow them to get two runs early. But we did a nice job of answering back with Kelly's three-run home run to take the lead back. Kelly had a great day at the plate, and I thought Jacoby Fields did a nice job of giving himself up at the plate to bring home a couple of big runs for us. Mike Roberts did an outstanding job behind the plate, and Robert Crumpler and Matt Edwards came up in brought home runs on pinch hits for us too. I can't say enough about Trey Barham's outing, to go 4.1 innings in relief and shut them down like he did was good to see. Travis Smink had a great outing, going two strong innings for us when the game was close, and Ian Casher came through with the strikeout for a save when we needed it.”
To start the game, a pair of Coppin State bunts went for Keydet errors, as Amiel Traynum and Matt Mansfield each reached on throwing errors. A base hit and a sac fly gave the Eagles the early 2-0 lead, as VMI allowed first inning runs for the fifth straight contest.
But Sweppenhiser and the Keydets would answer in their half of the first, as he drove CSU starter Bill Auch's 2-0 offering beyond the left field fence to give VMI the 3-2 advantage following a single by Chad Rice and a walk by Klint Reed.
VMI starter Chris Henderson could not protect that lead though, giving up three more runs on Conway's homer in the second. Henderson was lifted following that shot, as he walked off the mound after giving up five runs, three earned, on two hits in 1.2 innings of work.
Barham would get out of the second using only one pitch, as he fielded a ground ball back at him and flipped to first to end the frame. Barham would continue to cruise through Eagle batters with relative ease in the following innings, allowing only three baserunners while earning seven strikeouts, pitching through the sixth inning. The only run he allowed came in the fourth, when Graham Johnson reached on a leadoff single, moved to third on a stolen base and an errant throw on the attempt, then came home on a sac fly by Mansfield.
The Keydets would give Barham the lead in the fifth, thanks to four extra base hits. Sweppenhiser's triple off of the centerfield wall brought home Reed, who had just doubled down the left field line. Sweppenhiser scored two pitches later, when Fields' grounded out to the right side, the second of his two RBI groundouts. Following another double down the left field line by Roberts, RBI hits by B.T. Good, Crumpler and Edwards advanced the score to 10-6 through five innings.
To start the seventh, the Keydets turned to senior J.J. Hollenbeck, who retired the first two batters of the frame before allowing three straight hits, giving up a run. A wild pitch moved the two baserunners to second and third with two outs, but did more damage than that, as Hollenbeck was forced to leave the game due to injury with a full count. Facing nearly as much of a pressure situation as is possible on the mound, Travis Smink entered the game and coolly fired a strike in his first pitch to end the inning and the rally with the Keydets leading 10-7.
Smink retired the next four Eagle batters before giving up a one-out single in the ninth. He then got Teon Richburg to fly out to left field for the second out, and induced a ground ball to the left side that looked as if it would end the game, however a fielding error on shortstop Chad Rice extended the inning. Given an extra out, the Eagles made the Keydets pay, as Corey Greene's single to centerfield made it a two-run game with runners on first and second. Casher was then brought in to face pinch hitter Miachel Prats, whom he struck out to end the game.
Other Keydet hitting standouts included Klint Reed's 2-for-4 day at the plate, as he scored three runs and improved his batting average to .471 on the season. Sweppenhiser raised his average to .441 with his 4-for-4 performance, while Roberts' 2-for-3 outing raised his average to .385, third-best on the team.
Three Eagles had multiple hits on the afternoon, as Ryan Deakyne, Carlos D'Costa and Corey Greene each had a pair of hits. Conway led the team with his four RBI and his home run, his first of the young season.
The Keydets are back in action Saturday afternoon, as they continue their homestand by hosting a doubleheader against Lafayette on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for noon at Patchin Field.
