Old Dominion Holds On For 7-6 Win Over Baseball

Baseball VMIKeydets.com

Old Dominion Holds On For 7-6 Win Over Baseball

LEXINGTON, Va.? Old Dominion reliever Cory Toth got VMI shortstop A.J. Yoder to line out to second base with the bases loaded in the eighth inning of a one-run game, as the Monarchs scored a 7-6 non-conference decision on Tuesday afternoon at Gray-Minor Stadium. ODU improves to 9-4 on the year, while the Keydets fall to 4-8.

After falling behind 6-0 through three innings, VMI scored a single run in the third inning, made it a 7-5 game with four more in the sixth, but could manage only one run despite four baserunners in the eighth. That was a common theme for the Keydets on the day, stranding runners in each of the first eight innings as 13 men were left on base in all by VMI.

“We struggled early in the game, but I was impressed by how we came back,” said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry. “It came down to needing one more hit in the eighth inning, and their guy did a good job to prevent us from getting that hit. Adam Kruithof struggled to start out the game, and Matt Murrer did a good job early on in relief. If we make one more play, then he's out of the (third) inning unharmed, but instead we give up three unearned runs. I was proud of how Ryan Barefoot and Matt Edwards did in relief also. But we just left too many guys on base to beat a team like Old Dominion.”

In a game that saw 24 total hits, 13 runs and 21 men left on base, Keydet third baseman Tanner Biagini led the way with a 3-for-5 outing with four RBI, raising his Big South Conference-leading average to .533 with a base hit in his 13th consecutive game, dating back to last season. Also posting multiple-hit days for VMI were Thane Smith (2-for-3, two runs scored), Justin Topping (2-for-5) and Justin Hess (2-for-5).

Meanwhile, the Monarchs saw leadoff man Jimmy Miles go 3-for-4 with his first home run of the season, while Chris Buss hit the first roundtripper of his career, going 2-for-4 with three RBI. The Monarchs' first home run of the day came off the bat of David Burns, whose solo shot in the second inning was the cleanup hitter's team-leading of the season.

After Burns' shot down the leftfield-line in the second off of VMI starter Adam Kruithof (0-1), Buss followed with a two-run home run beyond the Gray-Minor Stadium scoreboard three batters later to give the Monarchs a 3-0 advantage. One inning later, after Kruithof had been lifted one batter into the third, Matt Murrer came on in relief and walked a batter before inducing a double play, started by a fine scoop on a short hop by Biagini at third base. However, With two men down and a runner on third, Burns hit another grounder to third base that Biagini could not handle, leading to the first of three unearned runs in the frame to bring the margin to 6-0.

The Keydets got on the board with an unearned tally of their own, as Thane Smith scored from first base on a single by Mike Roberts that skipped past Monarch leftfielder Max Most to the wall.

Keydet freshman Ryan Barefoot came on in relief of Murrer to begin the fourth inning, giving up a single up the middle and a walk before retiring the side when Burns flew out to centerfield. That began a string of Barefoot setting down nine of the next ten batters he faced, with Miles' two-out home run in the sixth inning the only blemish.

Trailing 7-1 headed to the bottom of the sixth, the Keydets began a rally off of Monarch starter Dexter Carter (1-0). Carter surrendered a one-out single to Hess before seeing the Keydet centerfielder thrown out attempting to steal second base. With two outs, Carter walked Sam Roberts before back-to-back singles from Shane Geisslinger and Smith loaded the bases for Biagini, whose double down the leftfield line cleared the bases and chased Carter from the game in favor of Toth.

Toth's defense failed him to start out his appearance, as Buss committed the Monarchs' second error on the afternoon on a grounder hit by Mike Roberts, leaving the Keydets with runners at the corners. A passed ball then brought the margin to 7-5 before Jordan Ballard struck out to end the rally.

Two innings later, Geisslinger got things going in the eighth against Toth with a leadoff walk, before Smith laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the second baseman into scoring position. Biagini plated Geisslinger with a base knock to bring the margin to 7-6. A shallow flyout by Mike Roberts provided the inning's second out, before a walk to Ballard and an infield hit by Topping loaded the bases for Yoder. Down 0-2 in the count, Yoder laced a low line drive at the shortstop, who made the catch just before the ball hit the ground to quell the Keydet rally.

Both sides were retired in order in the ninth inning, as Old Dominion won its fifth straight. Carter took the win, scattering ten hits and five runs, three earned, in 5.2 innings, striking out five while walking four. Toth picked up his second save of the season by allowing only one run and three hits in 3.1 innings, striking out four while walking two.

On the flip side, Kruithof was lifted after two innings with only three hits surrendered, but two walks and four runs, including three earned. Murrer was charged with two unearned runs on two hits in one inning, while Barefoot enjoyed his career-long outing, scattering three hits one one run in four innings. Matt Edwards worked the final two innings of shutout ball, allowing two hits and notching the last of VMI's three strikeouts on the mound, while not contributing to the staff's five walks.

The Keydets return to action on Wednesday evening, traveling to Williamsburg to take on William & Mary at 5 p.m.
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Players Mentioned

Jordan Ballard

#26 Jordan Ballard

IF
6' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
Ryan Barefoot

#21 Ryan Barefoot

SS/RHP
6' 4"
Freshman
R/R
Tanner Biagini

#24 Tanner Biagini

IF
6' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
Matt Edwards

#14 Matt Edwards

RHP/DH
5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
R/R
Shane Geisslinger

#2 Shane Geisslinger

IF
5' 8"
Senior
R/R
Justin Hess

#3 Justin Hess

IF/OF
5' 11"
Sophomore
L/R
Adam Kruithof

#9 Adam Kruithof

RHP/IF
5' 11"
Freshman
R/R
Mike Roberts

#6 Mike Roberts

C
6' 2"
Junior
R/R
Sam Roberts

#4 Sam Roberts

IF/OF/P
6' 2"
Freshman
L/R
Justin Topping

#5 Justin Topping

C/OF
5' 11"
Freshman
R/R
A.J. Yoder

#10 A.J. Yoder

IF
5' 11"
Junior
L/R

Players Mentioned

Jordan Ballard

#26 Jordan Ballard

6' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
IF
Ryan Barefoot

#21 Ryan Barefoot

6' 4"
Freshman
R/R
SS/RHP
Tanner Biagini

#24 Tanner Biagini

6' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
IF
Matt Edwards

#14 Matt Edwards

5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
R/R
RHP/DH
Shane Geisslinger

#2 Shane Geisslinger

5' 8"
Senior
R/R
IF
Justin Hess

#3 Justin Hess

5' 11"
Sophomore
L/R
IF/OF
Adam Kruithof

#9 Adam Kruithof

5' 11"
Freshman
R/R
RHP/IF
Mike Roberts

#6 Mike Roberts

6' 2"
Junior
R/R
C
Sam Roberts

#4 Sam Roberts

6' 2"
Freshman
L/R
IF/OF/P
Justin Topping

#5 Justin Topping

5' 11"
Freshman
R/R
C/OF
A.J. Yoder

#10 A.J. Yoder

5' 11"
Junior
L/R
IF