RICHMOND, Va. ? VCU scored multiple runs in four of the first five innings in capturing a 17-8 win over VMI in non-conference action at The Diamond on Tuesday evening.
The Rams (11-10) scored three runs in the first and second innings, two more in the fourth and eight in the fifth to take a 16-2 advantage midway through the contest. VMI (11-15) rallied to outscore the Rams 6-1 the rest of the way, including a four-run ninth inning, to cut the margin to single digits.
In a game that saw 11 pitchers, the starters earned the decisions for each side. Robbie Andrews (1-0) worked four innings, allowing two runs on four hits for the Rams, while Adam Kruithof (0-2) lasted just two frames for the Keydets, surrendering three runs, two earned.
VCU collected 14 hits in scoring its 17 runs and were aided by six hit batsmen, six walks and five Keydet errors. Six Rams had multiple hits, while Justin Wright (2-for-3, four RBI), Joe Van Meter (2-for-4, three RBI), and Matt Leskiw (2-for-4, two RBI) also contributed multiple RBI.
Jordan Ballard paced VMI at the dish, going 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored, while Brian Sandridge was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
The Keydets jumped on top in the first, as Sam Roberts' groundout plated Tanner Biagini to give VMI a 1-0 advantage. The Rams rallied in the bottom of the first, as Wright's sacrifice fly tied the game, before Van Meter's base knock and a VMI throwing error put the Rams up, 3-1.
VMI cut the margin to 3-2 in the second as Jacob Morley scored on a Ram fielding error. Back-to-back singles then loaded the bases with one out, but Andrews escaped the jam, and the Keydet bats would go silent for the next several innings.
The Rams broke the game open by batting around in both the third and fifth innings. A three-run third inning saw the Rams bring home runs on a Leskiw single, a throwing error and a bases-loaded hit batsmen, before adding two more in the fourth on a passed ball and a groundout. The eight-run fifth was highlighted by Wright's bases-clearing triple and RBI singles by Van Meter and Richard Gonzalez.
VMI's remaining tallies came late, scoring six runs in the final two innings off of Van Meter. In the eighth, Kyle Goodale drew a bases-loaded walk before a groundout by Colin Miller plated another. In the ninth, doubles by Ballard and Sandridge accounted for three runs, and Miller's base knock up the middle made it a 17-8 contest.
The Keydets return to action on Friday evening, playing host to Liberty at Gray-Minor Stadium, with first pitch set for 6 p.m.
