LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI Keydets scored the game's final five runs, but it was not enough to overcome an early 11-1 deficit to the Liberty Flames as VMI fell, 11-6, to Liberty in Big South baseball action Saturday at Gray-Minor Stadium in Lexington, Va. The game was the opener of a doubleheader contested between the two clubs, and the middle game of the three-game series.
Liberty (25-20, 10-7 Big South) scored 11 of the game's first 12 runs, including home runs by Ashton Perritt and Ryan Cordell in a five-run sixth inning, to break the game open. Cordell's home run was a grand slam. The Keydets (19-28, 5-12 Big South) came back with a Rob Dickinson home run in the sixth, a two-run shot, and scored three runs over the final two innings to account for the final margin.
Offensively, Dickinson led the way for VMI with a 3 for 5 game to push his average back over the .400 plateau. Ray Lopez added two hits as well, while Cordell and Alex Close had four RBI apiece for the visiting Flames.
On the mound, T.J. Lighton took the loss (4-3) as he was removed one batter into the third inning and charged with four runs, three earned, on five hits. It was Lighton's first loss since Feb. 27. For Liberty, Brooks Roy pitched seven innings, allowing three runs (two earned), to go to 6-4 on the year.
Liberty jumped ahead with a four-spot in the first inning. Perritt led off with a single, and Bryan Aanderud followed with one of his own. Danny Grauer then hit a two-hopper to Lopez at third base that was slightly bobbled, but Lopez recorded one out on the play. Cordell followed with a walk to load the bases, and Close singled to left. The single got by Jordan Tarsovich, however, for an error that allowed not only the lead two runners to score, but Cordell to cross the plate as well to give Liberty a 3-0 lead. Justin Sizemore followed with a RBI double to make it 4-0, Flames.
That margin grew to 6-0 in the fifth, when Close doubled home two more runs. The Keydets got on the board in the bottom half, as Lopez reached on a throwing error, stole second, went to third on an infield out and scored on a Red Dowdell groundball, cutting the deficit to 6-1.
Liberty broke the contest open in the sixth, however. With one out, Perritt homered to left center off Jonathan Kelley and Aanderud reached on a fielding error. Miles McQuaig relieved and Trey Wimmer greeted him with a single. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and Grauer walked to load the bases. Cordell then hit a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall for a grand slam, making it 11-1, Liberty.
Angus led off the Keydet sixth with a single and Dickinson launched a 1-0 pitch over the right center field fence for his seventh homer of the season, cutting the margin to 11-3. The Keydets then got RBI singles from Brandon Diamond and Lopez in the eighth, making it 11-5, and Dickinson added a RBI on a ninth-inning infield hit to account for the final margin.
