CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Junior
Cole Jenkins drilled four home runs Thursday as the VMI baseball team swept Western Carolina University, 14-11 (10 inn.) and 17-12 in a Southern Conference doubleheader from Hennon Stadium.
Jenkins, a rightfielder, drilled two longballs in each game and finished the day with six hits and six RBI and now has eight homers this year.
Season Notes:
*VMI has swept three of its four doubleheaders this season and is 7-1 in those games
*The Keydets (18-14/5-3 SoCon) are just one game shy of matching their conference win total from last year with 13 games still to play
How it Happened:
Both games followed a similar pattern: VMI took a large lead, the Catamounts came back late to tie or go ahead, and the Keydets finished strong to pull out the victory. Jenkins had plenty of help as VMI plated 31 runs on 36 hits.
GAME 1:
*The Keydets opened a 9-3 lead, but an eight-run eighth inning from WCU put the hosts ahead 11-9. VMI tied the game with two in the ninth and pulled away with three in the 10th.
*VMI had 20 hits in a game for the first time since the 2016 season
*Freshman
Andrew Jones was solid in his first start on the hill this season, working 6 1/3 innings with three strikeouts and allowing just five hits, two walks and three earned runs
*
Trey Morgan was 2-5 with a home run and earned the win in relief, allowing just one walk with two strikeouts in 1 2/3 frames
*
Cole Garrett went 4-6 with a home run and four RBI
*
Justin Starke was 3-4 with a double and a walk
*
Zac Morris had three hits and
Brett Cook had a home run
*Jordan Starkes was 3-3 for Western Carolina with a home run and two walks
GAME 2:
*VMI had an 8-2 edge before a Catamount six-run sixth tied the score. The Keydets plated two in the seventh and three in the eighth, but WCU nearly countered with one in the seventh and three in the eighth to cut the lead to 13-12. The Keydets brought four more runs across in the ninth to extend the lead
*Morgan was 3-6 with three RBI and two stolen bases, and again finished the game on the mound to earn the save
*Cook was 3-4 with another homer and two walks and
Grayson Fitzwater blasted a grand slam
*
Ty Swaim had three hits and scored three times
*Starke was 2-3 with two walks, a HBP, four runs and stolen two bases
*Garrett drove in four runs and VMI stole eight bases
*Jack Spyke was 4-5 with a double for WCU (12-18/3-5 SoCon)
Next Time:
The two teams are tentatively set to finish the series Friday with a time to be determined. Inclement weather is expected in the area over the weekend.
