Baseball Plays Host to #15 Coastal Carolina This Weekend

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Sandridge?s Blast Powers Baseball Past Winthrop, 5-4

LEXINGTON, Va.? Brian Sandridge capped a four-run fourth inning with a game-tying single, then cranked his fourth home run of the season to provide the winning margin in the sixth as VMI took game two of a weekend, Big South Conference series against Winthrop, 5-4. The Keydets (10-14, 4-1 Big South) and Eagles (10-16, 1-1 Big South) play the rubber game of the weekend series on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Gray-Minor Stadium.

After falling behind 4-0 through the first three innings, Keydet starter Michael Bowman (1-3) earned his first win of the season by allowing two baserunners over the next four innings while VMI fought back to take the lead. Keydet left-hander Travis Smink came on to work the final two frames, slamming the door for his third save of the year and second in Big South play in as many weekends.

“I thought that Bowman did a nice job of settling in after the first three innings,” said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry. “They hit him hard when he mislocated some pitches early in the game, but he locked in after we tied it up in the fourth. Travis Smink came on and did another great job in relief. I was really proud of how our guys came out and competed today after last night's loss.”

Winthrop starter Hamilton Bennett (0-6) shut down the Keydets through the first three innings before running into trouble in the fourth. Four consecutive hits, including run-scoring doubles by A.J. Yoder and Jordan Ballard, brought the score to 4-3, before Sandridge (Brownsburg, Va./Rockbridge County) followed with a one-out single into right field, plating Ballard with the game's tying run.

Bennett retired seven of the next eight batters until falling behind 3-0 to Sandridge in the sixth. The hometown product made Bennett pay, breaking the tie with a shot to the leftfield scoreboard, completing the Keydet comeback.

“We got some big hits from the middle of our lineup in that fourth inning rally,” said Ikenberry. ” We did a nice job of stringing hits together to get back into the game, and that really gave us some momentum that Bowman took advantage of. Sandridge delivered the big hit to score the tying run in the fourth, then came back in the sixth and got a pitch he could handle on 3-0 to drive it out of the park and give us the lead.”

Over the final three innings, Winthrop had only one base runner, when Smink issued a walk to cleanup hitter Billy Froehlich in the eighth. Froehlich, who was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, was thrown out at second base to end the eighth, marking the third runner that Keydet catcher Alex Haitsuka threw out in the game after the Eagles were successful on all three attempts against him on Friday.

“I give a lot of credit to the job that Alex Haitsuka did behind the plate today with their runners,” said Ikenberry. “Alex did a great job of playing catch with our middle infielders, throwing three guys out (in four attempts) and shutting down their running game.”

Winthrop jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, as Froehlich plated the first run with his double, then scored on a base knock from Bryn Henderson. Eddie Rohan's fourth home run of the season pushed the advantage to 3-0 in the second, before Eddie Tisdale brought the margin to 4-0, scoring on Froehlich's single back up the middle in the third.

Bennett collected his first career complete game, surrendering five runs on nine hits, striking out ten batters while not walking one. In fact, the Eagles have not walked a batter in 17 innings against the Keydets this weekend.

Keydet Quick Hits
? After losing their first four games that were decided by one run, the Keydets have won three games in a row decided by one run over the past nine days.
? Over the past six games, Brian Sandridge is hitting .429 (9-for-21) with three home runs and eight RBIs.
? The win was only the second of the season for the Keydets when their opponent scores first (Central Connecticut State, March 2).
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Players Mentioned

Jordan Ballard

#26 Jordan Ballard

IF
6' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
Michael Bowman

#17 Michael Bowman

RHP
6' 3"
Junior
R/R
Alex Haitsuka

#28 Alex Haitsuka

C/OF
6' 3"
Freshman
R/R
Brian Sandridge

#31 Brian Sandridge

OF
6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
R/R
Travis Smink

#35 Travis Smink

LHP
6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
L/L
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
Michael Bowman

#17 Michael Bowman

6' 3"
Junior
R/R
RHP
Alex Haitsuka

#28 Alex Haitsuka

6' 3"
Freshman
R/R
C/OF
Brian Sandridge

#31 Brian Sandridge

6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
R/R
OF
Travis Smink

#35 Travis Smink

6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
L/L
LHP
A.J. Yoder

#10 A.J. Yoder

5' 11"
Junior
L/R
IF