HAMPTON, Va.- After dropping their first two matches of the day while participating at the 27th Annual Virginia Duals, the VMI Wrestling team got back on the right track by posting a 34-15 win over Duquesne on Friday at the Hampton Coliseum. The win brings the Keydets' record to 2-4 on the dual season.

After opening the tournament on Friday morning with a 37-6 loss to Rider, the Keydets faced a familiar foe in Virginia. Facing the Cavaliers for the sixth consecutive season, the Keydets took a 28-9 loss, sending them into a match with Duquesne, who had previously lost to Bloomsburg and North Dakota State.

Against Duquesne (2-8), the Keydets won seven of the ten matches, including three pins and a forfeit for their most convincing win of the season. In the match, junior Tommy Cunningham won his seventh consecutive bout, posting a 4-1 decision against Cody Midlam as he was the only Keydet to win each of his three matches on the day.

A forfeit at 125 lbs. gave the Keydets an early 6-0 advantage, but the Dukes cut into that lead with a 3-1 decision at 133 lbs., courtesy of Brad Cipriani. But VMI rebounded to win the next three matches, as freshman Brandon Franklin won a 15-5 major decision at 141, 20th-ranked senior Sam Alvarenga pinned his opponent in 1:18 at 149, and Cunningham won at 157. After a pin for Duquesne's Rob Dempsey at 165, junior Dustin McCabe made the score 22-9 with a 5-3 decision at 174 over Scott Black. The team's traded pins at 184 & 197, with Duquesne earning six points from Jared Ricotta at 184, and VMI senior Corry Murray turning the trick at 197. A pin by junior Erik Olson at heavyweight provided the final margin for the Keydets.

The Keydets kicked off the day by facing fourth-seeded Rider in the first round. After freshman Jonathan Pope dropped an 11-8 decision at 125, junior Tyler Anthony knotted the score at three by posting an 8-3 decision over Matt Bradley. But the Broncs went took control of the match by scoring a major decision at 141, as Don Fisch defeated Franklin 14-2, before Michael Kessler stunned Alvarenga at 149, defeating the VMI senior 7-0 in a rematch of the third-place match at this year's Keystone Classic, where Alvarenga posted a 7-3 win over Kessler.

Cunningham made the score 10-6 in favor of Rider with his 11-6 decision at 157 against Rob Morrison, but the Broncs went on to win the final five matches, including three pins, a forfeit and a decision, to make the final score 37-6.

In the day's second bout, the Keydets fell behind early to Virginia when freshman Lance Long was forced to retire due to an injury at 125 lbs, before Anthony fell 7-0 to Eric Albright at 133, where he is ranked tenth nationally. But the team rallied to take the next three matches, as Franklin, Alvarenga and Cunningham each won decisions to knot the score at nine midway through the match. Again, the Keydets could do no further damage in the upper weight classes, as the Cavaliers won the final five matches, including two major decisions, a technical fall and two decisions, to bring the tally to 28-9.

Rider 37, VMI 6
125 - Thomas Lorenzo (Rider) over Jonathan Pope (VMI) Dec 11-8
133 - Tyler Anthony (VMI) over Matt Bradley (Rider) Dec 8-3
141 - Don Fisch (Rider) over Brandon Franklin (VMI) Maj 14-2
149 - Michael Kessler (Rider) over Sam Alvarenga (VMI) Dec 7-0
157 - Tommy Cunningham (VMI) over Rob Morrison (Rider) Dec 11-6
165 - Dave Miller (Rider) over Vince Cole (VMI) Pin 3:40
174 - Doug Umbehauer (Rider) over Dustin McCabe (VMI) Dec 8-5
184 - Mike Miller (Rider) over Corry Murray (VMI) Pin 1:30
197 - T.J. Morrison (Rider) wins by forfeit
HWT - Peter Reid (Rider) over Eric Olson (VMI) Pin 1:28

Virginia 28, VMI 9
125 - Ross Gitomer (Virginia) over Lance Long (VMI) Inj
133 - Eric Albright (Virginia) over Tyler Anthony (VMI) Dec 7-0
141 - Brandon Franklin (VMI) over Kellon Balum (Virginia) Dec 8-5
149 - Sam Alvarenga (VMI) over Drew DiPasquale (Virginia) Dec 5-1
157 - Tommy Cunningham (VMI) over Beau Fisher (Virginia) Dec 3-0
165 - Mike Sewell (Virginia) over Vince Cole (VMI) Maj 11-3
174 - Mike Grogan (Virginia) over Dustin McCabe (VMI) Dec 3-1
184 - Rocco Caponi (Virginia) over Kyle Elgert (VMI) TF 15-0
197 - Kyle Narkiewicz (Virginia) over Corry Murray (VMI) Dec 8-7
HWT - Scott Smith (Virginia) over Eric Olson (VMI) Maj 12-0

VMI 34, Duquesne 15
125 - Jonathan Pope (VMI) wins by forfeit
133 - Brad Cipriani (Duquesne) over Tyler Anthony (VMI) Dec 3-1
141 - Brandon Franklin (VMI) over Jayk Cobbs (Duquesne) Maj 15-5
149 - Sam Alvarenga (VMI) over Brandon Baldini (Duquesne) Pin 1:18
157 - Tommy Cunningham (VMI) over Cody Midlam (Duquesne) Dec 4-1
165 - Rob Dempsey (Duquesne) over Vince Cole (VMI) Pin 2:55
174 - Dustin McCabe (VMI) over Scott Black (Duquesne) Dec 5-3
184 - Jared Ricotta (Duquesne) over Kyle Elgert (VMI) Pin 2:26
197 - Corry Murray (VMI) over Tim Frank (Duquesne) Pin 5:39
HWT - Erik Olson (VMI) over Joseph D'orsie (Duquesne) Pin 2:49