ROCK HILL, S.C.? For the second straight game, it took a come-from-behind effort by the Winthrop Eagles to score a victory, as they took down #30 VMI by a 9-5 count on Sunday afternoon at the Winthrop Ballpark to secure the Big South Conference series sweep. The win pushes the Eagles' record to 16-13, 3-0 in the Big South, while the Keydets fall to 17-7, 3-3 in League play.
The Keydets twice took leads in the early innings, only to watch the Eagles methodically come back. VMI batted around in the first but left the bases loaded to take a 3-0 lead early, before WU came back to knot the score at three in the bottom of the second. Two innings later, senior Robert Crumpler slugged his fourth home run of the season to give the Keydets a 5-3 advantage, but saw Winthrop post a single run in the fourth inning, two runs in the fifth inning to take a 6-5 lead, then three more in the sixth to run the score to 9-5.
Earning the win in relief for the Eagles was Kellen Taylor (1-0), who worked 2.1 innings, allowing only two hits and no runs to secure his first career victory. He relieved Owen Reid who allowed only Crumpler's two run home run after entering the game in the first inning, as starter Josh McDonald allowed three runs on six hits while recording only two outs. Earning his first collegiate loss was VMI freshman starter Chris Duty (3-1), who was tagged with six runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings.
Senior Chris Carrarra drove home three runs while going 3-for-5, including his second home run of the season to lead off the first inning. Bryn Henderson went 2-for-4 from the second spot in the order, while Mike Honce drove in a pair of runs without the benefit of a hit for the Eagles. For the Keydets, Crumpler drove in three runs while going 3-for-4, while senior shortstop Chad Rice collected a pair of base knocks, as did Eddie Van Es and Michael Roberts.
The Keydets got things started in the top of the first with back-to-back singles by Rice and Thane Smith, followed by a sacrifice bunt by A.J. Yoder. Three consecutive singles from Crumpler, Van Es and Roberts ran the score to 3-0, giving the Keydets their largest lead of the weekend series. But Carrara quickly cut the margin to 3-1 with his leadoff home run to left field, while a pair of second-inning walks issued by Duty came back to haunt him, as they each came around to score to knot the game at three.
That is how it stayed until the fourth inning, as Crumpler launched a 2-2 pitch deep over the leftfield fence after an A.J. Yoder single to give Duty and the Keydets a 5-3 advantage. However, Eddie Tisdale led off the bottom of the fourth with a double, then came around to score on a pair of groundouts to cut the lead to 5-4.
Following a one-out double by Henderson in the fifth inning, Duty retired Billy Froehlich by inducing a flyout to shallow rightfield, marking the second out of the inning. Henderson came around to score to knot the game at five one batter later on Louis Ullrich's single up the middle, chasing Duty from the game in favor of senior reliever Ian Casher. A stolen base got Ullrich to second base, where it appeared he had been picked off to end the rally by Casher. However, a late balk call by the home plate umpire saved the junior outfielder and allowed him to advance to third base, where he scored just a couple of pitches later on a single up the middle from Kevin Nolan.
Armed with a 6-5 lead, the Eagles tacked on three more runs in the sixth inning, with Honce collecting an RBI on a sacrifice fly, while Carrara and Henderson each brought home runs as well on base knocks.
The Keydets used four pitchers in the ballgame, as Casher was relieved by Corey Bachman, who allowed one unearned run on two hits in two innings of work, while sophomore Chris Henderson worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning. For the Eagles, Taylor was followed by Ryan Mullins, who allowed only one hit in 1.1 innings of work, while Jonathan Settle worked a perfect ninth to wrap up the win.
The Keydets return to action on Tuesday evening, when they host VCU for the Gray-Minor Stadium dedication game, with first pitch slated for 7 p.m.
