LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI Keydets scored two runs in the seventh inning to take the lead, including one tally off Winthrop Eagle relief ace Eric Ruth, but Winthrop went on to score single runs in the eighth and ninth to eke out a 5-4 win in the finale of a three-game Big South series contested Sunday in Lexington, Va. With the victory, Winthrop (19-32, 7-14 Big South) won the series two games to one.
Trailing 3-2 entering the seventh, the Keydets (20-32, 6-15 BSC) got to Ruth for two runs, one of which was charged to starter Joey Strain. The run on the docket of Ruth was just the second earned run he had surrendered all season, and the first to not come on a home run as Matt Winn singled home Brandon Angus with the go-ahead run. That gave the Keydets a 4-3 lead, but Winthrop rallied in the eighth.
Austen Barber led off with a single, and Michael Patrick followed by drawing a walk. That brought John Garrett out of the bullpen, and Leighton Daniels greeted him by showing bunt. Daniels pulled the bat back, however, and slapped a hard ground ball just beyond the reach of second baseman Drew Bryan, scoring pinch-runner Luke Maldonado to tie the game. Garrett escaped further damage by striking out Chad Smith and inducing a grounder to third, on which one runner was retired and the batter, Cody Dolan, was called out thanks to the lead runner's interference at second.
The Eagles were able to take the lead in the ninth, however. Matt Lobacz led off with a double, and Clay Altman bunted him to third. Jace Whitley was intentionally walked as a pinch-hitter, but Kyle Edwards hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Lobacz and give Winthrop the lead, 5-4. Jordan Tarsovich had a one-out double in the VMI ninth, but Angus flew out to center field and Winn popped to short to end the game.
Garrett was charged with the loss in relief, as he dropped to 3-4 after allowing one run in two innings of work. Ruth (2-0) notched the victory, while neither starter figured in the decision despite yeoman's efforts. Connor Bach allowed four runs, three earned, over seven-plus innings and struck out a career-high eight, while Strain gave up three runs – two of which were earned – in six frames.
After a rain-soaked first two days of the series, Sunday dawned clear and temperate, with the temperature hovering around 65 degrees and the wind blowing out at 10-15 miles per hour. Winthrop took the early lead, as Daniels led off with a single. Smith then grounded to third, but Ray Lopez threw wildly to first and runners advanced to second and third. Dolan then plated Daniels with a RBI groundout, giving WU a 1-0 lead.
The Keydets tied the game in the second. Lopez walked with one out, and one out later, Eric Mayers singled into the left center field gap. Center fielder Patrick ran over to play the ball, but bobbled it and it fell at his feet, allowing Lopez to score and Mayers to take an extra base in what became a 1-1 tie.
VMI then took its first lead in the third, when Tarsovich was hit by a pitch and stole second. One out later, Winn singled him home to give the Keydets a 2-1 lead.
The Eagles fired back in the fourth, when Dolan led off by hitting a ground ball down the third base line. Lopez backed up on the ball, but it hopped over his glove and down the line for a double. Bach retired the next two hitters, but Stephen Wallace then hit a 1-1 pitch over the left field wall for a two-run homer, giving Winthrop a 3-2 advantage. Both starters then settled in, and neither team could find the scoreboard again until the Keydet seventh started the final sequence.
Offensively, Daniels led the visitors with three hits, while Angus, Winn and Mayers had two hits apiece. Winn drove in two runs as well. VMI outfielder Rob Dickinson went 0 for 1 in his first action of the weekend, as he sat out the previous two games due to injury. With three games left in the season, the senior is now hitting .404.
VMI baseball will return to action Thursday, as the Keydets take on the High Point Panthers in the opener of a three-game conference series. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
