GREENSBORO, N.C. – The VMI baseball team held a 5-4 lead early in the contest but couldn't hold on Thursday as the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) defeated the Keydets 7-5 in a Southern Conference game.

VMI got on the board early as a Trey Morgan single brought home Will Knight in the first. The Spartans had four runs cross the plate in the bottom of the first to make it a 4-1 game.

The Keydets took the 5-4 advantage after scoring four runs of their own in the third. Knight singled to plate Cody Warner and VMI took advantage of a passed ball and an error to add the other three runs. UNCG scored two in the fourth and one in the fifth to take a 7-5 lead and neither team would add a run the rest of the way.

Knight was 3-4 with a double and a triple. Will Lopez and JT Inskeep each tossed an inning of relief, not allowing a run, a hit or a walk.

Greg Hardison went 3-4 for UNCG (27-23/12-16). Jared Mathewson threw 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the win and Austin Parsley worked 1 2/3 perfect innings to earn the save.

The loss eliminates the Keydets (16-29/11-17) from playoff contention. The same two teams will close out the 2021 regular season Saturday with a doubleheader at 1 p.m.