RICHMOND, Va. - A four-run first inning propelled VCU to a 7-3 win over VMI in non-conference baseball action Wednesday evening at The Diamond. The win improves the Rams to 23-17-1 on the year, while the Keydets fall to 29-14 with the loss.
Joe Van Meter, who went 4 for 4 with three home runs against the Keydets last week, went 3 for 4 with two runs scored. Matt Leskiw scored twice while going 2 for 4, while Paul Nice drove home two with his first-inning double. VMI managed six hits in the contest, with Cory Spangenberg's RBI double in the third as the team's only extra-base hit on the night.
Seven of the first eight Rams to bat reached base in the first inning against Keydet starter Adam Kruithof (0-1). Leskiw opened the scoring with his single up the middle, followed two batters later by a base knock into center field by Van Meter. After a bunt single and a hit batsman loaded the bases, Nice drove home a pair to push the lead to 4-0. Battling the sun setting behind home plate, Kruithof issued a four-pitch walk and was lifted, as Chris Duty came on to retire the next two batters, keeping the margin at 4-0.
The Keydets broke into the scoring column in the third, as Chase Worthington drew a leadoff walk and scored three batters later on Spangenberg's two-out double. Duty, meanwhile, kept the Rams at bay, allowing just one base runner in his first four innings when Van Meter singled with two outs in the second.
Duty's mastery came to an end in the fifth, when his string of retiring eight in a row was broken by another Van Meter single. Brent Mikionis' single later in the inning plated Van Meter, the only run Duty surrendered in his 4.2 innings while striking out seven.
The Rams plated two more in the sixth against reliever Travis Thomas. In the inning, Taylor Perkins led off with a single up the middle and scored on leadoff hitter Greg Fujii's sacrifice fly for the first run. Leskiw followed with a single and scored when Richard Gonzalez stroked a double into left field.
VMI got those runs back in the seventh. Worthington scored his second run of the day on an infield single by Sam Roberts, while Jacob Morley scored an unearned run on an errant throw on that same play. The Keydets could pull no closer the rest of the way, however.
Ram starter Ryan Farrar (2-2) earned the win, allowing one run on two hits in three innings. He was the first of six Ram hurlers to see action, the last of which was Van Meter, who allowed a hit and a walk in a scoreless ninth.
VMI returns to action Friday, opening a Big South series against Radford at Gray-Minor Stadium, with first pitch set for 6 p.m.
