LEXINGTON, Va.? VMI's 30th win of the season was one of its most memorable, as sophomore Eddie Van Es crushed his second home run of the contest to give the Keydets a 5-4 walk-off win in game one of a Big South Conference series against UNC Asheville. The win ties the school record for the most wins in a season by a VMI (30-13, 6-7 Big South) baseball team set just last year, and improves the team to 21-2 at Gray-Minor Stadium this season. UNCA falls to 17-30 overall and 7-9 in the Big South.
With UNCA's Alan DeRatt and VMI's Michael Bowman each hurling eight innings of crisp baseball in starting the game, it came down to a pair of relievers in the ninth. VMI's Kevin Crum (2-2) saw first baseman Robert Crumpler come to his aid to record all three outs of the ninth inning, before Van Es tagged his sixth home run of the season off of UNCA's Ben Buchanan (4-6).
“What a great Friday night baseball game,” said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry. “Both pitchers settled into a rhythm early, and had a great duel going. I was proud of the way that Michael Bowman competed after giving up that three-spot in the fourth inning, and he just kept getting stronger as the night went on. We had some nice at-bats early, some hard-hit balls that just didn't land for us, then Robert Crumpler and Eddie Van Es came up with solo shots when we needed them in the middle innings. Both those guys came out in the ninth inning and got it done, which is what you want to see out of the middle of your order. We've been talking all year about when we're down late, battling to get the tying and winning run to the plate, and that's what we were able to do tonight. It was good to see Kevin Crum get back to his early-season form, and now we just have to come out tomorrow with the same intensity to get the series win.”
Van Es wrapped up the evening by going 2-for-4 with three RBI, collecting his first career multi-home run game, and VMI's first walk-off home run since Kelly Sweppenhiser did so against William & Mary on April 21, 2004. Crumpler also went 2-for-4, slugging his team-leading 12th roundtripper of the season, along with a sharply-hit single to put the tying run aboard in the ninth inning. Brian Sandridge plated the first run of the evening for the third time in five games with his single up the middle in the second inning.
DeRatt allowed three runs on only four hits in eight innings, striking out seven while walking none. He was nearly matched pitch-for-pitch by Bowman, who equaled career highs by pitching eight innings and striking out ten, allowing four runs on eight hits while issuing two walks and hitting a pair of batters.
The Keydets took the 1-0 lead in the second inning after Jacoby Fields struck a double down the leftfield-line with two outs, followed quickly by Sandridge's base knock. Meanwhile, Bowman set down the first nine batters he faced before the Bulldogs struck in the fourth. Bowman hit Kevin Mattison to lead off the frame, followed by back-to-back walks to load the bases with no outs. Elliott Arrington's sacrifice fly to leftfield squared the game at 1-1, before David Williams plated a pair with a double down the leftfield-line to give the visitors the 3-1 advantage.
Van Es hit his first home run of the evening in the bottom of the fourth, a shot that cleared the batting cages just beyond the rightfield fence to bring the Keydets within a run. However, the Bulldogs fought right back, as John Whited led things off with a two-bagger to begin the fifth inning before scoring on Mattison's rightfield single two batters later to make it 4-2.
The Bulldogs threatened once again in the sixth inning, as Rob Vernon led off the frame with a base knock before Arrington was hit by a pitch. A passed ball moved both runners into scoring position with no outs, but Bowman responded with three consecutive strikeouts to end the threat and turn momentum to the home side.
Crumpler brought the Keydets within a run in the bottom of the sixth with a laser-shot to leftfield, his 12th home run of the season and 28th of his career. But that was the only baserunner that DeRatt allowed in his final three innings of work, as the junior righthander has now allowed only seven hits in his last two starts, totaling 15.1 innings.
Meanwhile, Bowman stranded one runner in the seventh inning before an inning-ending double play ended a Bulldog rally in the eighth inning. With one out and runners at first and second base, Edmond Locklear lifted a fly ball into foul territory well down the rightfield-line. Van Es made an impressive catch over the bullpen wall to record the second out of the inning, as each baserunner tagged up to advance a base. But for the second-straight game, the Keydets appealed, and Williams was called out for leaving first base early to end the eighth.
Bowman was then lifted after giving up a leadoff single to Kyle Smith in the ninth, as Crum came on to retire Whited via a pop up on a two-strike bunt attempt, then saw Crumpler end the inning by snaring a line drive and diving to tag out Smith to keep it a one-run contest heading to the bottom of the ninth.
Batting in the bottom of the ninth for only the fourth time this season, the Keydets rallied for their second walk-off win of the Conference season, joining the 7-6 come-from-behind win over High Point nearly three weeks ago. Yoder flew out to leftfield on the first pitch from Buchanan, before Crumpler's screamer to Steve Burnich at third base, who made a nice play to snare the ball but had no chance to throw out the senior. Crumpler was then lifted for pinch-runner David Lottman, who watched Buchanan's second pitch to Van Es land just to the left of the lightpole beyond the right-centerfield fence to send the crowd of 509 into a frenzy.
The Keydets and Bulldogs play game two of the weekend series on Saturday evening, with first pitch slated for 5 p.m. at Gray-Minor Stadium. UNCA will send to the mound junior righthander Graham Baughn (4-4, 5.23 ERA), and he will be opposed by VMI junior lefty Trey Barham (8-3, 2.26 ERA).
The game can be watch on the Internet on "The Edge" for 3.95. To sign up, go to www.bigsouthsports.com.
