RICHMOND, Va. - VMI scored six unanswered runs in the middle innings, but Richmond rallied with five straight runs late, and the Keydets and Spiders battled to a 6-6, 10-inning tie in baseball action Tuesday afternoon in Richmond, Va. The game was called on account of darkness, and will not be resumed.
After the Spiders scored an unearned run in the first, VMI (4-5-1) starter Coby Cowgill settled down and the Keydets took advantage. Graham Sullivan hit his first home run of the year in the third, and VMI added two each in the fourth and fifth before the Spiders (3-5-1) scored one each in the fifth and sixth and capped their rally with three in the eighth, tying the contest and accounting for the final score.
The Keydet offense was led by George Piccirilli, who went 3 for 4 with a walk, and Big South Player of the Week Sam Roberts, who went 2 for 4. Cowgill threw five innings, allowing two runs (one earned), but Richmond scored off each of the next three Keydet relievers to rally. The game was the 100th meeting between the schools, and was the first recorded tie in the all-time series.
Richmond jumped ahead early, as Mike Mergenthaler doubled with one out. After Cowgill retired Jacob Mayers, the VMI hurler induced a ground ball to second base, but Justin Hess threw wide to first, allowing Mergenthaler to score and put UR up, 1-0.
The Keydets came back in the third, as Roberts led off with a single and, on the first pitch, Sullivan homered to right field to put VMI up, 2-1. The visitors added two more in the fourth, as they took advantage of a passed ball following a strikeout. With two out, Piccirilli delivered a two-run single to push the Keydet lead to 4-1.
VMI capped its scoring in the fifth, adding two more unearned runs after a throwing error by the UR right fielder. UR got a run off Cowgill in the bottom of the inning, and with a 6-w edge, the Keydets went to Campbell Henkel for the sixth. The Spiders manufactured a run off the freshman lefty, who was relieved by Travis Thomas with two on and two out in the sixth. Thomas got out of trouble with a strikeout, and then fanned the side in the seventh to send the game to the eighth with VMI up, 6-3.
In that inning, however, the first four UR hitters reached before the fifth struck out. With VMI clinging to a 6-4 edge, Alan Watts surrendered a two-run single to Robby Massar to tie the game, 6-6. The Keydet reliever induced a double play to end the inning with no further damage, and although the Spiders would threaten in both the ninth and 10th frames, Keydet closer Michael Devine was able to prevent them from scoring and preserve the 6-6 tie.
VMI will return to the diamond Friday, as the Keydets return to Gray-Minor Stadium to host the Bucknell Bison. Game time is set for 4 p.m.
