SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The VMI baseball team trailed 5-2 after six innings Friday but rallied to defeat pre-season Southern Conference favorite Wofford College 9-6 in 11 innings on Russell C. King Field.
VMI improves to 14-9 on the year and won its first league opener since the 2019 campaign.
After the Terriers opened their three-run lead, VMI struck for three in the top of the seventh to tie the game.
Grayson Fitzwater doubled to bring home
Cole Garrett and pinch hitter
James Newsome belted his first collegiate home run the opposite way to knot the game at five.
Cole Jenkins singled in
Brett Cook in the top of the ninth to give the Keydets a 6-5 edge; Wofford answered to tie the game in the bottom of the frame but right-hander
Will Riley left three runners stranded to send the game to extra innings.
Riley also came through in a tough situation the next inning, leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th. The first two Keydets reached base in the top of the 11th inning and a Garrett sacrifice bunt resulted in an overthrow to score a run. Fitzwater rapped an RBI single and Jenkins hit a sacrifice fly to add insurance runs and
Nathan Light recorded the last three outs for his first save of the season.
Highlights:
*Fitzwater was 3-5 with two RBI in the first SoCon game of his career
*Garrett was 2-3 with two runs scored and Jenkins was 2-3 with two RBI
*
Justin Starke had two hits and started a 5-3 double play to end the game
*
Nathan Hawley threw two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, striking out three and allowing just one base runner
*Riley earned the win to improve to 2-2 on the year and Light needed just nine pitches to close out the 11th frame
*Dixon Black had four hits for Wofford (15-6/0-1 SoCon)
Next Time:
The two teams are scheduled to continue the three-game series Saturday at 3 p.m. and finish up Sunday at 1 p.m.
