LEXINGTON, Va.? Mike Zahm's two-run double off of the centerfield wall gave Old Dominion a 5-4 advantage in the top of the ninth inning, while VMI came up empty in the bottom half in non-conference baseball action at Gray-Minor Stadium. The win improves ODU's record to 32-20, while VMI falls to 33-17.
Sophomore reliever Kevin Crum (3-3) took the loss for the Keydets, allowing an unearned run to bring the margin to 4-3 in the eighth inning before allowing a pair of base knocks in the ninth inning. Crum then recorded the second out of the ninth by inducing a flyout before Zahm connected for his 21st double of the season, plating Anthony Shawler and Gerard Hall to take the one-run lead.
In the bottom half, Hunter Hall came on in relief of Ross Fetterley (2-2), who blanked the Keydets for 3.1 innings by allowing only one hit. Hall allowed only a one-out single to A.J. Yoder, retiring three of the four batters he faced to collect his fourth save of the season. Sophomore Eddie Van Es slugged his seventh home run of the season, a fifth-inning grand slam, but it wasn't enough to prevent only the team's fifth home loss in 27 outings.
“I thought that we did a nice job of competing tonight,” said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry. “We played good defense until the last couple of innings, and I was proud of how we came out tonight after playing a long series in the heat this weekend down at Radford. It was one of those games where anything can happen, and we were looking for Kevin Crum to finish out the game for us because Corey Bachman was a little tight. But there at the end of the game, we had our best out there against their best, and tip your cap to their guy. Eddie Van Es got a pitch that he could handle there in the middle of the game and put a good swing on it, but we just couldn't find a way to get any more runs home.”
VMI starter Chris Duty and ODU starter Dexter Carter took turns shutting down the opposing offenses over the first four innings, with Duty facing only two batters over the minimum through four innings. Carter worked around two hits, two hit batsmen and a walk to blank the Keydets over the first four frames.
Monarch catcher Tyler Belcher led off the top of the fifth with a double to left-centerfield, followed two batters later by John Malbon's second home run of the season, giving ODU the 2-0 advantage. Carter ran into trouble in the bottom-half of the inning, as a one-out walk issued to Shane Geisslinger was followed by back-to-back hit batters, his third and fourth of the night. After striking out Robert Crumpler for the second out, Carter wasn't so lucky to Van Es, as the outfielder hit the Keydets' first grand slam since Brandon Massenburg did so against Lafayette on Feb. 29, 2004. After sailing a pitch over Mike Roberts' head in the next at bat, Carter was issued a warning by the home-plate umpire. Three pitches later, Carter hit Roberts and was removed from the game, as Fetterley came on while trailing 4-2.
The Monarchs rallied in the top of the sixth, loading the bases against Duty with two outs before the freshman righty recorded his final out of the evening with a strikeout of Cameron Scott to end the frame. Crum then came on in relief and set the Monarchs down in order in the seventh before allowing a leadoff two-bagger to Zahm in the eighth. Crum then responded with back-to-back strikeouts before Nick Erdman hit an infield chopper that he beat out, however, Shane Geisslinger's errant throw to first base allowed Zahm to score an unearned run from second base to cut the margin to 4-3.
Against Fetterley, the Keydets stranded single runners in the fifth through eighth innings, leaving nine men on base in all. In the top of the ninth, Shawler led off with a pinch-hit single into leftfield, while the first out was recorded on a first-pitch popout on a bunt attempt by pinch-hitter Brooks Sinnen. Hall then followed with a scorcher back up the middle to put the go-ahead run on base. Chris Keenan then provided the second out of the ninth by flying out to centerfield before Zahm delivered his blow just beyond the grasp of VMI centerfielder Justin Hess off the wall. Corey Bachman then came on to record the final out of the ninth and give the Keydets a chance to rally in the bottom of the ninth.
However, Chad Rice's single into right-centerfield was all the offense could muster, as Hall assured ODU of the season split after VMI defeated the Monarchs by a 3-1 margin on March 21 in Norfolk.
The Keydets wrap up the regular season this weekend, hosting Liberty in a three-game set beginning on Friday at Gray-Minor Stadium. The Monarchs begin their final weekend of the season on Thursday, taking on William and Mary in a three-game set at Plumeri Park.
