MACON, Ga. – VMI Baseball (19-19, 3-5 SoCon) rebounded from yesterday's loss with an 11-8 result over Mercer University (18-15, 3-5 SoCon) at OrthoGeorgia Park Saturday afternoon.
The Keydets put up 11 runs against the best pitching team in the league, marking just the fifth time the Bears have allowed double-digit runs this season. With the victory, VMI is now tied for sixth in the Southern Conference standings with Mercer.
Key Stats
- VMI posted five extra-base hits
- Five Keydets had a multi-hit game
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Trey Morgan recorded his second win on the mound, tossing 5.1 innings with three strikeouts
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Cole Jenkins had a pair of hits, RBI, and runs along with a home run
- Along with Jenkins,
Ty Swaim,
Kazuya Jordan, and Morgan each tallied two RBI
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Owen Prince and
Jimmy Koza record two hits and two runs apiece
- Koza and Morgan swiped two bags respectively
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Nathan Hawley picked up his first save of 2024, going 3.2 innings and striking out three
Scoring Summary
- VMI started the scoring in the first inning after Swaim singled in a run
- In the fourth, Jenkins powered a two-run center field bomb to make it a 3-0 lead
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Brett Cook continued the Keydets' fortunes in the fifth with a two-RBI double right before Swaim hit a sacrifice fly to score
Justin Starke
- With runners at second and third, Jordan stroked a double down the line to score both runs and extend VMI's lead, 7-0
- However, a Mercer sixth-inning surge cut the deficit to just one
- Despite the attempted comeback by the Bears, the Keydets returned fire with a loud three-run seventh inning off a costly error from Mercer and then a Morgan single to make it 10-6
- Bears only got one run in the eighth as Hawley pitched out of a bases-loaded jam
- VMI added some insurance in the final frame, getting an RBI groundout from Morgan
- Mercer was able to get one run back in the ninth but to no avail as VMI held on
Next Up for the Keydets
- Keydets look to take the series in tomorrow's rubber match at 1 p.m.
- This would be the first series win over the Bears since 2021 and third all-time
- With a win tomorrow, VMI will take sole possession of sixth place in the SoCon standings