LEXINGTON, Va. - After losing game one 4-2, the VMI Keydets rebounded to score seven runs in the sixth inning and take game two of Saturday's doubleheader with the Bucknell Bison, 7-3, and split the twinbill. In the process, VMI head coach Marlin Ikenberry captured his 200th career win.
Trailing 3-0 headed to the sixth inning of the nightcap, VMI (6-6-1) quickly scored two runs, thanks to a Bucknell (3-7) throwing error and a George Piccirilli sacrifice fly. The next three hitters reached before Justin Topping tied the game with a single to right, and the Keydets took the lead when the next batter, Cody Holder, hit a slow roller in front of the plate. Reliever Marcus Garone fielded the ball, but threw high to the plate, allowing two runs to score. VMI would tack on two more in the inning, thanks to an Andrew Montague sacrifice fly and a Sam Roberts single, accounting for the seven runs.
The outburst made a winner of reliever John Garrett (1-0), who surrendered two runs in the sixth inning, while Garone took the loss for Bucknell and fell to 0-1. Jeremy Brown was the VMI starter, and worked five innings, surrendering one run on three hits. Bucknell starter Jack Boehm took a no-decision.
"Jeremy Brown did a great job of getting us into the game today," said Coach Ikenberry. "Just like in game one, however, we left a fastball up to their best hitter late in the game, and he hit it out of the park. We will learn from those mistakes, but I was proud of the guys for the way they came back and manufactured our first big inning of the year in the sixth. The first three guys, Sam Roberts, Graham Sullivan and George all made big plays, and all of a sudden, Bucknell committed that error and we strung together a few solid hits. I was also pleased with Justin Topping's first start behind the plate this year, and thought he did a great job and that the whole team pitched and played defense well in game two."
Both starters cruised through the first three innings, with only three total hits on the board. Cody Holder led off the VMI third with a bunt single and advanced to third on a pair of ground balls, but Graham Sullivan flied out to end the threat. Bucknell took the lead in the fourth, thanks to a Gerald Runyan double and a David Duffett RBI single. The Bison then added two runs in the sixth, thanks to Doug Shribman's home run off Garrett, but that set the stage for the VMI rally.
In the opener, Bucknell took the early lead on Shribman's first home run of the double header, coming in the first inning off Keydet starter Jason Farley (0-3). VMI tied the game in the bottom half, when Alex Haitsuka doubled home Sam Roberts, equaling the contest at 1-1.
It would stay that way until the third, when two Keydet throwing errors allowed an unearned run to score and gave the Bison a 2-1 edge. They would expand that lead in the sixth, when Shribman doubled home a run to push the margin to 3-1, and once again in the ninth, it was Shribman who tacked on a ninth-inning insurance run, homering off Alan Watts to make it 4-1.
In the ninth, the Keydets rallied, as two of the first three hitters reached. Both moved up on a wild pitch, and VMI plated a run on a passed ball, but Justin Hess flew out to end the ballgame while representing the tying run.
"I thought Farley did a good job today," said Coach Ikenberry. "Unfortunately, for the second straight weekend, we didn't score enough runs to get him the win, even though he's pitched well in both of those games. Credit them for extending the lead in the ninth, but I thought we had a chance in our half of the inning. We just needed a big hit or two and couldn't get them."
Farley took the loss in the opener, despite surrendering just three hits over eight innings. Ryan Ebner got the win for Bucknell, as he moved to 1-1 on the year, and Steve Carlin earned his first save.
On the day, the VMI offense was led by Roberts, who went 2 for 5 with two runs scored and three walks, while Sullivan, Topping, Jacob Morley and Sullivan each had two hits in one of the contests. For Bucknell, Shribman went 4 for 7 with three home runs and five RBI.
Finally, Ikenberry's 200 career wins are the most of any Institute coach, as well as the fifth-most in Big South history. Regarding the landmark win Saturday, the VMI head man stated, "I've been very fortunate to have great assistant coaches and coach good baseball players."
VMI will return to the diamond Sunday, as the Keydets return to Gray-Minor Stadium to host Bucknell in the finale of the four-game set. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
