LEXINGTON, Va. - No. 29 VMI scored in each of the first seven innings and junior catcher Alex Haitsuka hit for the cycle as the Keydets scored a 14-1 win over Longwood Tuesday evening at Gray-Minor Stadium.  The win continues VMI's best start in program history at 24-5, while the Lancers fall to 13-13 with the loss.

VMI used four pitchers on the evening, with the win going to starter Jeremy Brown (2-0).  The right-hander worked 3.1 scoreless innings, scattering five hits, while the only Longwood run of the game came across against Coby Cowgill, who threw 2.2 innings.  Alan Watts recorded four strikeouts in his two innings before Ryan Barefoot came on to make his season debut, allowing one hit in a scoreless ninth.

The story of the night, however, was Haitsuka, who recorded VMI's first cycle since Kelly Sweppenhiser did so on Feb. 19, 2006.  Haitsuka's day began with a double in the second inning, before he tripled to leadoff the fourth.  He then slugged a two-run home run in the fifth before completing the cycle just like Sweppenhiser did, with an infield single in the eighth.  On the play, Haitsuka hit a high chopper down the third base line before coming around to score his fourth run of the day.

Haitsuka accounted for three RBIs hitting from the eighth spot in the lineup, as did Jacob Morley from the nine-hole.  Graham Sullivan went 2 for 5 with a home run and four RBIs, while Cory Spangenberg was 3 for 4 with a home run, three runs scored and two driven in.

Longwood was led at the plate by leadoff man Brant Jones, who was 3 for 4 with a double and the team's only run. Starter Chris Briere (3-4) took the loss for the Lancers, allowing nine runs on 10 hits in four innings.  He was one of five Longwood pitchers in the game, as Michael Johnson, Kyle Long, Daniel Johnsen and Kyler Morgan each worked an inning.

VMI took a 3-0 lead on Sullivan's eighth home run of the season, coming in the first inning with two on.  A two-run shot by Morley made it 5-0, before Tanner Biagini's single in the third inning pushed the lead to 6-0.  Three more came across in the fourth, thanks to a fielding error and RBI singles from Morley and Sullivan.

Trailing 9-0, the Lancers scored a run in the fifth, when Jones led off with his two-bagger and scored on Casey Havers' left field-single.  Haitsuka got that run back on his two-run blast in the bottom of the fifth, followed by Spangenberg's leadoff shot in the sixth.  Leading 12-1 in the seventh, VMI scratched out two more runs on base knocks from Haitsuka and Spangenberg then left two men on base in the eighth, the Keydets' only scoreless frame.

VMI continues in-state play Wednesday, playing host to JMU at 5 p.m.  The contest will be broadcast on the VMI Sports Network, available online at www.VMIKeydets.com.

Keydet Quick Hits

• The win is VMI's first in three tries against in-state opponents this season, having previously lost to Virginia Tech and JMU.
• The victory also snapped VMI's two-game losing streak to the Lancers.
• VMI is now 16-2 at Gray-Minor Stadium this season and 19-2 when scoring at least six runs.
• The Keydets have scored at least 14 runs seven times this season.
• VMI has hit a home run in 24 of 29 games this year.
• The Keydets have hit 50 home runs in 29 games, while the school record stands at 56 contests, set in 40 games back in 1985.