RICHMOND, Va. - The VCU Rams scored two unearned runs in the first inning to take the lead for good, and a ninth-inning VMI rally fell short, as VCU prevailed 4-2 in non-conference baseball action Tuesday night in Richmond, Va.
With one out in the first, John Lenherr hit a sharp ground ball to first baseman Alex Haitsuka. The Keydet senior misplayed the ball, allowing a run to score against VMI starter John Garrett (3-2). Michael Cheatham followed with an RBI double, scoring another unearned run to put VCU up 2-0.
VCU went to the ninth with a 4-2 lead, but Roberts laid a perfect bunt down a perfect bunt to get aboard with one out. Graham Sullivan and Justin Topping followed with hits, loading the bases, but Berkley Hawkins bounced into a 4-6-3 double play to end the game.
With the loss, the Keydets fall to 19-17-1 and see their four-game winning streak snapped. Two streaks were extended for the Keydets, as Roberts had two hits for the eighth consecutive game, going 2 for 5, and Haitsuka had an eighth-inning single to extend his hitting streak to 19 games.
VCU advances to 15-20, as Blake Hauser (1-3) worked five shutout innings to get the win. Garrett took the loss for VMI, working just the first inning, and Jonathan Watson recorded his fourth save.
After the Rams jumped ahead in the first, Hauser and the VMI bullpen exchanged zeros until the sixth. The Rams put runners on the corners with no outs in the fourth, but Alan Watts induced a strikeout and a double play, ending the inning.
Meanwhile, the best Keydet chance came in the fifth, when Andrew Montague and Justin Hess sandwiched singles around a ground out. Roberts then flew out to the warning track, and a long drive to deep left-center by Sullivan was run down by Bill Cullen, ending the inning.
Topping led off the Keydet half with a double, and Haitsuka advanced him with a ground ball. Jacob Morley then had an infield hit, cutting the VCU lead to 2-1. In the bottom half, however, Nick Kime led off with a solo home run off Campbell Henkel, pushing the margin back to two, 3-1.
The home team went up by three in the seventh, when Cheatham had an RBI groundout, but Haitsuka started a Keydet rally in the eighth. He reached on a leadoff single, but was retired on a fielder's choice. Morley reached on that play, and went to third when Rob Dickinson had an infield hit. Dickinson's single was misplayed, allowing both runners to take an extra base, and Montague then drove in Morley with a ground out. Michael Devine then allowed just a single baserunner in the bottom half, setting the stage for the ninth inning.
In addition to Roberts' and Haitsuka's exploits, Morley and Topping delivered two hits apiece for VMI. Cullen, Paul Nice and Kime each had two hits for VCU.
VMI baseball will return to action Friday, as the Keydets play host to Liberty in the opener of a three-game Big South series. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
VMI at VCU (April 19, 2011 at Richmond, Va.)
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VMI . 000 001 010 - 2 12 2 (19-17-1)
VCU 200 001 100 - 4 8 1 (15-20)
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VMI - Garrett; Farley (2); Watts (4); Henkel (6); Devine (7) and Montague.
VCU - Hauser; Graham (6); Pelchy (7); Alford (8); Watson (9) and Perkins.
W- Hauser (1-3) S - Watson (4) L- Garrett (3-2) T- 2:47 A- 309
HR VCU - Kime (3)
