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Baseball Walks Past Old Dominion, 7-3

NORFOLK, Va.? VMI took advantage of nine walks, including four in a three-run third inning, to cruise past Old Dominion 7-3 on Wednesday evening at the Bud Metheny Complex.

The Keydets (12-15) used six pitchers in the win, as freshman Ryan Barefoot (1-0) won his first collegiate start, working a predetermined four innings, allowing a single run on one hit. Five VMI relievers came on to work single innings, limiting the Monarchs' (15-13) to two runs in the back-half of the game.

“I can't speak enough of how well we played tonight after playing yesterday and making this road trip,” said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry. “It's good to get another in-state win against a team like Old Dominion, they're a great club. I'm happy with the way that (Ryan) Barefoot came out and got his first collegiate start. He really got us into the game, and I was proud of the way he came out and competed. Then all of our guys out of the bullpen came in and did a great job. Matt Murrer, Chris Duty, Daniel Wood, Michael Bowman and Travis Smink each got an inning and did their job tonight to get us this win.

Dexter Carter (1-3), making his fourth consecutive start over the past two seasons against the Keydets, was dominant in the first two innings. The junior right-hander set down six in a row after a leadoff walk in the first inning before losing control in the third. Cater walked four batters and hit another after a leadoff single, as the Keydets plated three and left the bases loaded when Robbie Watkins relieved Carter after he faced eight batters in the third.

“The difference in that ballgame was that our pitchers threw strikes and their pitchers didn't,” said Ikenberry after his team claimed its second-straight win at the Metheny Complex. “We didn't get a lot of hits and they didn't get a lot of hits. We played well defensively tonight, and they gave us some runs. Jordan Ballard came through with the big home run in the ninth to get us back up by four. We talk about getting up by four all the time, and he did a nice job of extending the lead for us late in the ballgame.”

The Keydets took a 4-1 advantage by scoring another run without the benefit of a hit in the fourth. Freshman Sam Roberts, installed in the leadoff spot for the second-straight game, drew his third walk in as many plate appearances with two outs in the fourth, then scored on an error two batters later.

Monarch leadoff man Jimmy Miles cut the lead to 4-2 in the fifth with his double down the rightfield-line, after the senior center fielder opened the game's scoring in the first by swiping home on a double-steal.

Tanner Biagini accounted for the Keydets' next two RBIs, twice driving in Shane Geisslinger after leadoff singles in the sixth and eighth to give VMI a four-run advantage.

The Monarchs threatened in the home eighth off of Michael Bowman, as the right-hander issued a leadoff walk and before a Brian Cipolla double down the left field line put a pair of runners in scoring position with no outs. Bowman set down the next three batters he faced, allowing one run to score to keep the lead in tact.

Jordan Ballard got the run back for the Keydets by slugging his team-leading seventh dinger of the season, clearing the left field wall to push the final margin to 7-3, before Travis Smink worked a scoreless ninth to wrap up the Keydets' fourth win in their last five games against in-state opponents.

Geisslinger's 2-for-3 night was the only multiple-hit game for VMI, while Ballard and Biagini each drove in a pair of runs for VMI. Miles went 2-for-4 with a double atop the Monarch order, collecting one of the team's two RBIs.

The Keydets return to action on Friday evening, taking on Radford in the first game of a Big South Conference series, with first pitch set for 6 p.m. at Gray-Minor Stadium.
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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
Michael Bowman

#17 Michael Bowman

RHP
6' 3"
Junior
R/R
Chris Duty

#22 Chris Duty

RHP
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
Travis Smink

#35 Travis Smink

LHP
6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
L/L
Daniel Wood

#13 Daniel Wood

LHP
6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
L/L

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
Michael Bowman

#17 Michael Bowman

6' 3"
Junior
R/R
RHP
Chris Duty

#22 Chris Duty

6' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
RHP
Shane Geisslinger

#2 Shane Geisslinger

5' 8"
Senior
R/R
IF
Sam Roberts

#4 Sam Roberts

6' 2"
Freshman
L/R
IF/OF/P
Travis Smink

#35 Travis Smink

6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
L/L
LHP
Daniel Wood

#13 Daniel Wood

6' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
L/L
LHP