Barham?s Complete Game Leads Baseball Past High Point in Conference Opener, 5-4

Baseball VMIKeydets.com

Barham?s Complete Game Leads Baseball Past High Point in Conference Opener, 5-4

HIGH POINT, N.C.? Senior left-hander Trey Barham collected his fourth career complete game, scattering five hits and allowing one earned run as VMI opened the Big South Conference season with a 5-4 win over High Point on Friday night at Willard Stadium. The win improves VMI to 6-12 overall and 1-0 in the Big South, while the Panthers fall to 4-15 and 0-1 in the League.

Barham (Portsmouth, Va./Greenbrier Christian) improves to 2-2 on the 2008 season, collecting his third win in three starts in his career against High Point. The southpaw, who set down 12 in a row at one point, retired the Panthers in order in six of the nine innings and struck out seven while walking only one in his third career complete game against Big South competition.

“Trey Barham did an excellent job all night on the mound,” said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry. “He gave us the kind of performance that you look for out of a senior on Friday night in conference play. The top and middle of our lineup set the tone for us, and our energy level in the dugout was unbelievable for nine innings. I was proud of how we fought back after getting down early, and Thane Smith came through with the big knock when we needed it. All around, it was a great Friday night conference game.”

Smith tied the game in the sixth inning with a triple into the left-centerfield gap, plating Tanner Biagini and Jordan Ballard. Smith then scored the winning run two batters later, as Sam Roberts' sacrifice fly into leftfield was deep enough to allow Smith to slide in safely.

Sam Roberts went 2-for-3 with the game-winning RBI, while Smith scored a pair of runs to go with his two RBI. Biagini plated the game's first run and scored a run after a leadoff double in the sixth, Shane Geisslinger went 2-for-5 with a single and a double atop the Keydet order.

Reliever Chad Jennings (0-1) took the loss for the Panthers, failing to record an out in relief of starter Ryan Basham while being charged with three runs. Offensively, Randy Schwartz accounted for two of the five hits off of Barham, both singles.

The Keydets took a 1-0 advantage in the top of the first, as A.J. Yoder, who reached base in four of his five plate appearances while dropping down a sacrifice bunt, scored an unearned run on Biagini's groundout.

The Panthers took advantage of a pair of VMI miscues in the second to take a 3-1 advantage, as Max Fulginiti plated the first run before a wild pitch and a double play ran the Panther advantage to two runs.

HPU tacked on another run in the third, as Robby Kuzdale led off the inning with a walk, stole second base and scored on Billy Alvino's double into centerfield.

VMI cut the margin to 4-2 in the top fo the fourth, as Smith walked with one out, advanced to second on a wild pitch, reached third on a groundout before scoring on an error by HPU shortstop Alfie Wheeler on a hard-hit liner at his feet by Sam Roberts.

Barham settled in from there, facing the minimum over the next 5.2 innings, until a two-out single by Schwartz in the ninth.

Meanwhile, the Keydets rallied in the sixth inning after Basham was lifted in favor of Jennings. A leadoff double by Biagini into rightfield was followed by a walk to Ballard. That set the scene for Smith's two-run triple, tying the game and chasing Jennings, before Sam Roberts' sacrifice fly gave the Keydets the 5-4 advantage.

The Keydets were thwarted in chances to add to their lead in both the eighth and ninth innings, leaving Geisslinger stranded at third base in the seventh while loading the bases with two outs in the eighth before a bang-bang play at first base saw Geisslinger retired on a grounder to second base.

But Barham would need nothing else, working around the base knock by Schwartz to strikeout Chris Norwood to nail down the Keydet win.

Panther starter Basham took the no decision while working five innings, allowing four hits and two unearned runs, striking out four while walking three. He was relieved by Jennings, who surrendered two hits and a walk to three batters, as all three scored for the Keydets. Jeremy Berg came on to work three innings of relief, allowing three hits and one walk. In the ninth, R.J. Chlebnikow walked A.J. Yoder in his only batter faced, before Bubba O'Donnell came on to notch a pair of strikeouts while retiring all three batters he faced.

The Keydets and Panthers will wrap up the series on Saturday, playing a doubleheader at Willard Stadium at 1 p.m. Both games will be broadcast online at www.VMIKeydets.com.
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Players Mentioned

Jordan Ballard

#26 Jordan Ballard

IF
6' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
Trey Barham

#8 Trey Barham

LHP
6' 0"
Senior
L/L
Tanner Biagini

#24 Tanner Biagini

IF
6' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
Shane Geisslinger

#2 Shane Geisslinger

IF
5' 8"
Senior
R/R
Sam Roberts

#4 Sam Roberts

IF/OF/P
6' 2"
Freshman
L/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
Trey Barham

#8 Trey Barham

6' 0"
Senior
L/L
LHP
Tanner Biagini

#24 Tanner Biagini

6' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
IF
Shane Geisslinger

#2 Shane Geisslinger

5' 8"
Senior
R/R
IF
Sam Roberts

#4 Sam Roberts

6' 2"
Freshman
L/R
IF/OF/P
A.J. Yoder

#10 A.J. Yoder

5' 11"
Junior
L/R
IF