LEXINGTON, Va. ? Jordan Ballard went 5-for-5 with three RBI to pace the Keydet offense as VMI hung on for a 7-4 win over William & Mary on a frigid Wednesday afternoon at Gray-Minor Stadium.
VMI (2-6) jumped out to a 7-0 advantage, only to see W&M (3-4) rally to bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning. In a game that saw 13 total pitchers, the starters took the decisions. John Phelps (1-0) earned the win while working a predetermined two innings, while freshman Jay McCarthy (0-2) took the loss in three innings, allowing two runs on six hits. Keydet reliever Matt Edwards came on to face the final batter of the game, striking out Cole Franklin on three pitches to earn his first save of the campaign.
VMI jumped on top in the first inning, as Tanner Biagini collected the first of his three singles, driving in A.J. Yoder. The Keydets went up 2-0 in the third, as Ballard pulled a single into left field to plate freshman Jacob Morley.
The Keydet offense broke the game open in the fifth inning off reliever Chris Yates. A leadoff walk to Yoder preceded four consecutive singles, chasing Yates from the game. Reid Killen came on in relief, surrendering a pair of bases loaded walks before the ninth hitter of the inning, Justin Topping, grounded into a double play to end the four-run frame.
Ballard later delivered his third-consecutive RBI single, bringing the margin to 7-0 in the sixth.
W&M pieced together their first true rally in the eighth. A one-out error in right field was followed by back-to-back walks, loading the bases against reliever Andrew Deal. The Keydet freshman rebounded to induce a fielder's choice to escape the inning, with a fine play by defensive replacement Chase Worthington at second base aiding the cause.
The Keydets were not as fortunate in the ninth. Stephen Arcure's double into right field brought home a pair of runs in the ninth, while Lanny Stanfield's two-bagger down the left field-line chased home Arcure. Following a passed ball, Stanfield scored on a sacrifice fly to bring the margin to 7-4 with the bases clear.
The Tribe was not done, however, piecing together back-to-back singles to bring the tying run to the plate. Edwards was then summoned to the mound, where he made short work of Franklin to preserve VMI's second win of the season.
“I thought that our offense did a great job today,” said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry. “We had great approaches all through the first part of the game. We need to continue to expand the lead throughout the game, and we did that today. Jordan Ballard had a great day at the plate, and Brian Sandridge battled back after a couple of bad at bats to put together three good ones. For the most part, our pitchers did well. You know in a mid-week game like this, a lot of guys will get in there. John Phelps, Jeremy Brown, Adam Lopez and Andrew Deal all did a good job of putting up zeroes today. And Matt Edwards came on and got the biggest out of the night on three pitches to lock up the win."
The Keydet pitching staff combined to allow only one hit through the first eight innings, an infield hit by Stanfield in the third inning. VMI, however, issued seven walks and hit a pair of batters in the game.
VMI returns to action on Friday afternoon, playing host to Rider in the first of a three-game series at Gray-Minor Stadium. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
