LEXINGTON, Va.? Sophomore hurler Chris Henderson allowed only one hit while senior first baseman Robert Crumpler slugged his ninth and tenth home runs of the season as VMI completed the three-game sweep of Coppin State by an 11-0 count in a rain-shortened, five-inning non-conference contest at Gray-Minor Stadium.
Henderson improved to 4-1 on the season by allowing only one baserunner through five innings, that coming on a one-out single in the third inning by Elgin Thomas, the Eagles' starting pitcher. Henderson notched seven strikeouts to record the shutout, the first of his career. The Keydets improve on their best start in school history with a 27-10 mark, while the Eagles fall to 0-32.
Thomas (0-1) was charged with each of the 11 runs on 14 hits, walking only one batter while walking a pair in 4.1 innings of work. He was relieved by Sean Yampierre, who recorded the final two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
“We were really lucky to be able to get this game in, with the weather how it was,” said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry. “Our offense did a nice job of coming out early and putting up an early three-spot. Chris came out and threw strikes and did what he needed to do. It was a tough day to prepare for obviously because of the weather and not knowing what was going to happen, but I was proud of how focused our guys came out with very little pregame preparation.”
Freshman catcher Ryan Litz was a perfect 3-for-3 with an RBI in only his second start behind the plate, while Crumpler (2-for-4, 5 RBI) and Eddie Van Es (3-for-4, 2 RBI) combined for seven RBI and three home runs in the win.
A leadoff triple by Chad Rice opened things up in the bottom of the first inning for VMI, followed quickly by a Thane Smith single into centerfield to get the Keydets on the scoreboard. Crumpler then followed with a two-run homer off the netting in front of the scoreboard in leftfield to bring the advantage to 3-0. VMI then stranded a pair of runners later in the inning, as an Van Es double and a hit batsman went for naught.
Thomas kept the Keydets off the scoreboard in the second and third innings, before the hosts sent 11 men to the plate in the fourth. Three consecutive singles from Brian Sandridge, Shane Geisslinger and Rice led off the fourth inning and plated one run, while another hit batsman loaded the bases for Crumpler. The first baseman hit into a fielder's choice that brought home a run, while three more singles each plated runs as well. Those came off the bats of Van Es, A.J. Yoder and Litz, and brought the VMI lead to 8-0 through four innings.
Henderson struck out the side in the top of the fifth, while back-to-back home runs from Crumpler and Van Es plated three more and chased Thomas from the game in favor of Yampierre. Despite allowing a walk and a single, Yampierre escaped the inning unharmed by inducing a flyout and notching a strikeout, as the umpires first delayed the game, then called the game after five full innings.
The game saw Crumpler collect his second two-homerun game of the season, while Crumpler's and Van Es' back-to-back jacks were the first time that the Keydets have turned that trick in over two years, since Elliot Erbe and Crumpler did so against Birmingham-Southern on April 2, 2005.
