LEXINGTON, Va. – In the resumption of a game that began Friday, the Winthrop Eagles survived a ninth-inning VMI Keydet rally that saw the home team bring the tying run to the plate three times, to win 4-1. The game was the opener of a three-game Big South series, and had been halted Friday evening due to torrential rain that moved through the Lexington area.
Winthrop (18-31, 6-13 Big South) pitching was the story, as after Matt Pierpont was pulled from the game following the weather delay, right-hander Tyler Klitsch allowed just one hit over the next 3 2/3 innings to preserve the Winthrop margin. Klitsch did allow three straight baserunners to open the ninth, as David Geary doubled and Jordan Tarsovich was hit by a pitch. Brandon Angus followed with a single to score a run and knock Klitsch from the game, but WU relief ace Eric Ruth allowed only an infield hit the rest of the way as he earned his ninth save.
Klitsch was credited with the victory, as he moved to 2-9 on the year, allowing just one run in 3 2/3 frames, while Henkel (1-7) surrendered four runs in four innings for VMI (19-31, 5-14) to take the loss. Andrew Woods kept the Keydets in it, pitching the final five innings and doing so over both Friday and Saturday. Woods allowed just one hit and did not issue a walk over his stellar outing.
During Friday's action, Winthrop held a 4-0 lead after scoring two runs in both the second and fifth innings. RBI singles by Michael Patrick and Leighton Daniels in the second inning, as well as an RBI single by Chad Smith and a run-scoring double by Matt Lobacz, had staked WU to the advantage. The Eagles had also seen pitcher Pierpont hold the Keydets to just one hit over the opening 4 1/3 frames, with Nick Dwyer doubling as the final batter before the rain came, while Henkel (1-7) was knocked out in the fifth inning for the Keydets.
On Saturday, the remainder of the contest was a bit crisper. Neither team had a hit after the game resumed until Will Connerley singled in the seventh, but he was promptly erased on a 4-6-3 double play. Winthrop did not have a hit over its final four at-bats, but managed to hold on for the victory.
