LEXINGTON, Va. - Sam Roberts and Steele Myers combined to go 5 for 5 with 10 RBIs from the leadoff spot as VMI defeated Maryland Eastern Shore 20-1 in non-conference baseball action Saturday at Gray-Minor Stadium.  The win improves VMI to 9-0 for the first time in school history, while the Hawks fall to 0-10.

Roberts was 3 for 3 with two home runs before being replaced by Myers, who hit a two-run double and a three-run home run in relief.  Sophomore Chase Worthington was a career-best 4 for 6 with three runs scored from the eighth-spot in the lineup, while nine-hitter Andrew Montague was 3 for 6 with a double and two RBIs in his first collegiate start.

Keydet freshman Coby Cowgill (2-0), meanwhile, cruised through six shutout innings on the mound, allowing just a single hit while punching out nine.  Cowgill allowed just two base runners in his outing, hitting a batter with two outs in the first inning before Phil Vaughn's two-out single in the third inning.  Cowgill then retired the final 10 batters he faced, including six via strikeout.

"Coby (Cowgill) did a great job, going six strong innings," said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry.  "The bottom of our lineup did a nice job today.  Chase Worthington and Andrew Montague had great at bats, and Sammy (Roberts) came up with a couple of big home runs, which allowed us to open things up and get a lot of guys some playing time.  I was really pleased with the way our bullpen threw, and we played good defense today."

The Keydets scored in all but the eighth inning, including four-run outbursts in the fifth and seventh innings and a five-run frame in the sixth.  All but one Keydet starter had a hit in the game, as VMI sent 16 different batters to the plate, with 13 of them notching hits.

Hawk starter Karim Gonzalez (0-3) was charged the loss, allowing 11 runs, eight earned, on 13 hits in five innings.  Reliever Carl Huber, meanwhile, recorded all four of his outs via strikeout, allowing just two hits and blanking VMI.  The Hawks, meanwhile, were charged with seven errors, leading to six unearned runs.

VMI had three relievers work single innings, as Chris Duty struck out two of the three batters he faced in the seventh, while Travis Thomas allowed just a leadoff single in the eighth.  Karter Rivera worked the ninth, notching three strikeouts while allowing a run, coming on Donnie Haines' one-out single following Shaquille Bagwell's pinch-hit double.

The Keydets and Hawks wrap up their weekend series on Sunday, with first pitch at Gray-Minor Stadium set for 1 p.m.

Keydet Quick Hits

• The Keydets' last 20-run output came in VMI's first round Big South Championship win over Gardner-Webb on May 19, 2009, a 21-3 upset win.
• VMI's pitching staff has struck out 31 batters and walked just one in 18 innings against UMES.
• VMI did not commit an error for the fifth time in nine games.
• The team's current nine-game win streak is VMI's longest since winning nine in a row from Feb. 12-March 4, 2006.
• Sam Roberts' drove in five runs for the second game in a row after having never done so before in his career.
• Roberts' two-home run outing marked the second time this season that Roberts homered in back-to-back at bats.
• Steele Myers' home run in the seventh inning was the first of his career.
• Freshmen Michael Olivo and Miles McQuaig posted their first collegiate hits in the win.
• The Keydets are hitting .392 as a team and have five starters hitting over .400.