LANCASTER, Pa. - Hoping to get back into dual action with a victory, the VMI wrestling team fell short on the road as host Franklin & Marshall earned a 30-19 win Friday night at Mayser Gym in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
The Keydets got on the board first with five points as senior 125-pounder Dalton Henderson earned an 18-0 tech fall in 5:32 over the Diplomats' Edgar Garcia. However, Franklin & Marshall responded quickly with two falls at 133 and 141 pounds as Keydets Kevin Keaveney and Darren Ostrander were pinned to give F&M a 12-5 advantage. At 149 pounds, Diplomat Jason Bing extended the lead to 16-5 after topping VMI's Stevan Smith by a 12-2 major decision.
VMI sophomore Neal Richards ended the F&M momentum with a 27-12 tech fall over Emmett LiCastri at 157 pounds to cut the F&M lead to 16-10 midway through the dual. The South Chesterfield, Virginia, native earned the technical fall in the third period at the 6:22 mark.
After VMI's Blake Hohman fell by a tech fall at 165 pounds, senior Shabaka Johns provided three points for the Keydets at 174 pounds by claiming a 7-2 decision over F&M's Joshua Young and trim the Diplomat lead to 21-13.
Junior Taylor Thomas earned the final points for the Keydets at 197 pounds by earning a pin over F&M's John Argast in the first period at the 2:52 mark. The Diplomats finished the dual with a 4-3 decision over VMI freshman Sam Bouis in the heavyweight class for the final 30-19 tally.
The Keydets return to action next Friday with the final event of the 2016 calendar as they take on Southern Conference opponent Gardner-Webb at 7 p.m. in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.
F&M 30, VMI 19
125: Dalton Henderson (VMI) over Edgar Garcia (F&M) (TF 18-0 5:32)
133: Dan Martoccio (F&M) over Kevin Keaveney (VMI) (Fall 0:42)
141: Patrick Quinlan (F&M) over Darren Ostrander (VMI) (Fall 3:35)
149: Jason Bing (F&M) over Stevan Smith (VMI) (MD 12-2)
157: Neal Richards (VMI) over Emmett LiCastri (F&M) (TF 27-12 6:22)
165: Rob King (F&M) over Blake Hohman (VMI) (TF 18-3 4:40)
174: Shabaka Johns (VMI) over Joshua Young (F&M) (Dec 7-2)
184: Anthony Mancini (F&M) over Christopher Beck (VMI) (Fall 3:59)
197: Taylor Thomas (VMI) over John Argast (F&M) (Fall 2:52)
285: Corey Kerkesner (F&M) over Sam Bouis (VMI) (Dec 4-3)
