ASHEVILLE, N.C.- #2 Winthrop rallied with two runs in each of the final three innings in scoring an 8-4 win to eliminate #8 VMI in Game 4 of the 2009 Royal Purple Big South Conference Baseball Championship on Thursday at McCormick Field. The Eagles (33-24) advance to Thursday's play, while the Keydets wrap up their season at 18-35.
Winthrop starting pitcher Matteo D'Angelo (8-2) outlasted two early VMI rallies, setting down the final eight batters that he faced while working seven innings, allowing four runs, three earned, while scattering 10 hits. Reliever Tyler Mizenko came on to record his 14th save of the season, allowing just two base runners in the final two innings, striking out three.
VMI got a strong starting pitching performance from Matt Edwards, who left in the sixth inning with a 4-3 lead. The redshirt-junior, making just his third career start, worked five-plus innings, allowing just three runs on six hits. Four Keydet relievers, however, could not keep the Eagle bats at bay, allowing five unanswered runs. Freshman Michael Devine (0-6) took the loss for VMI, surrendering two runs on two hits in an inning of work.
“I thought that Matt Edwards did a great job of getting us into the ballgame, but unfortunately our bullpen couldn't hold them down in the late innings,” said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry. “I'm proud of what our seniors have done for our program over the last four years.”
The Eagles broke through for the game's first run in the third inning, when Edwards hit Chas Crane to start the inning. Two batters later, leadoff hitter Kevin Nolan connected for an RBI double off of the right-field wall.
VMI answered in the top of the fourth, when Alex Haitsuka's double plated Jordan Ballard to tie the score. Haitsuka reached second base on a sacrifice bunt, then with two outs he scored from second base on a throwing error by Nolan at shortstop.
The lead was short-lived for VMI, as Matt Thielepape brought home Eddie Rohan in the bottom of the fourth with his seeing-eye single through the left-side of the infield.
The Keydets jumped out in front on an A.J. Yoder's home run to lead off the fifth inning. It marked the third home run of the season for Yoder, who the day before was named First Team All-Conference. VMI advanced the lead to 4-2 later in the inning, after Tanner Biagini doubled down the left-field line, then scored on Ballard's base knock.
Following a scoreless inning put up by Edwards in the fifth, Thielepape led off the sixth with a home run to chase the Keydet starter from the game. Devine then came on and issued a walk to John Murrian, who came around to score on a flare single down the left-field line by Tyler McBride, the ninth hitter in the Eagle batting order.
Bryn Henderson broke a 4-4 tie in leading off the seventh inning, slugging a home run beyond the left-field fence. The Eagles extended the lead from there, scoring another run on a Murrian double in the seventh, before a two-run single by Rohan in the eighth capped the scoring.
The Keydets pounded out 11 hits, making their third-straight game in the Championship with at least 10 hits. Biagini, Ballard and Devine each had two hits for VMI, while Yoder added a home run, wrapping up his senior campaign with 80 hits, a new VMI single-season record.
