LEXINGTON, Va.- Rob Dickinson's double broke a tie in the seventh inning and propelled VMI to a 7-5 win over Winthrop Sunday evening at Gray-Minor Stadium.  The win allowed the Keydets (31-18, 12-12 Big South) to avoid a weekend sweep and moved the team into fourth place in the league standings, while the Eagles (23-26, 11-13 Big South) lost a series finale for the third straight weekend.

An Alex Haitsuka grand slam put VMI up 4-0 in the first before Winthrop cut the deficit to 5-2 in the third.  The visitors rallied for three in the sixth to tie the contest, but reliever Tommy Lawrence (2-4) surrendered Dickinson's double in the seventh, plating Cory Spangenberg, before Spangenberg delivered an RBI single in the eighth to move VMI up, 7-5.  Michael Devine (4-1) mowed down the final eight batters that he faced to claim the victory, striking out six in his 3.2 innings of work, scattering three hits.

Spangenberg's 2 for 5 day left him with 79 hits this season, one shy of the school record.  He also drove in two runs, while Haitsuka accounted for four RBIs with VMI's second grand slam of the season.  Dickinson also had a pair of hits, while Steele Myers went 3 for 4 with a double and two runs scored.

"We got a great effort from everybody today," said VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry.  "Alex Haitsuka had a big at bat in the first to give us a lead, and Rob and Cory came through late in the ballgame when we needed them to.  Steele had a great day at the bottom of the lineup too.  Sammy gave us what we needed on the mound, and Michael Devine came in and did a great job to close out the game."

Chas Crane had two RBI doubles for the Eagles, as Tyler McBride also collected a pair of two-baggers from the bottom slot in the lineup.  Leadoff hitter Sean Sullivan scored twice while Adam Gliebe went 2 for 4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI.

Winthrop starter Wade Newman lasted just 3.2 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits.  Tyler Mizenko came on in the fourth and stranded two men before allowing only a leadoff single in the fifth.  Lawrence then entered and was charged both of VMI's go-ahead runs, allowing three hits in his 2.1 frames.

Sam Roberts also took a no decision in his start, surrendering three runs, two earned, in five-plus innings of work.  He was relieved briefly by Chris Duty, who allowed two of the three batters he faced to reach base and score, before Devine came on to pitch the final 3.2 innings.

Newman ran into trouble early, allowing a one-out double in the first inning, then issuing free passes to Jordan Ballard and Dickinson with a walk and a hit batsman.  With two outs, Haitsuka sent Newman's 2-2 offering beyond the left-center field fence for VMI's first grand slam since Jordan Ballard connected for one on March 11 against La Salle.

The teams traded runs in the second, and Winthrop scored another in the third, when Crane doubled home Sullivan.  Roberts left two men stranded in both the fourth and fifth innings but was lifted after giving up a double to Adam Gliebe that led off the sixth.  Duty entered and retired the first batter he faced, but allowed a double and a walk and was pulled for Devine.  With the lead down to two runs and two men on base, back-to-back hits from Cook and Crane tied the game before Devine settled down to record the final outs of the inning, leaving the bases loaded.

The Keydets were retired in order by Lawrence in the sixth, before Devine recorded a rare four-strikeout inning in the seventh.  The right-hander struck out Gliebe to lead off the inning, then got Max Vogel on strikes, but the final pitch skipped away and into the first-base dugout.  A McBride double put two runners in scoring position, but Devine got two more swinging strikeouts to end the threat.

Spangenberg connected for a one-out single in the home-half of the seventh and scored all the way from first base two batters later on Dickinson's double off the left-center field wall.  In the eighth, Spangenberg provided the big hit yet again, singling into right field to score Myers, who reached on an infield single.

Devine, meanwhile, allowed no base runners after McBride's one-out double in the seventh, earning his fourth win of the season.

The Keydets return to action Tuesday evening, taking on #2 Virginia at 6 p.m.  The VMI Sports Network will broadcast the game both online at www.VMIKeydets.com and on Lexington's Fox Sports Radio 1450 AM.

Keydet Quick Hits

• VMI set new school records Sunday for hits (568) and runs (382) in a season. This year's team already had the school marks for doubles (118), home runs (75), RBIs (359) and total bases (933) and would currently establish new marks for batting average (.329) and slugging percentage (.541).
• The 31 wins by this year's squad is the second-most in school history, behind only VMI's 2007 total of 34.
• VMI is 25-2 when allowing opponents five runs or less and 24-4 when scoring at least seven runs.