JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – VMI Baseball ended its Southern Conference series opener with a ninth-inning comeback against East Tennessee State at Thomas Stadium on Sunday.
Down to their last out, the Keydets (21-6, 1-2 SoCon) scored three runs in the ninth frame to defeat the Buccaneers (19-7, 4-2 SoCon) and escape with a 5-4 victory in the series finale. With the win, VMI defeats ETSU for the first time since 2023 and the first win in Johnson City since 2021.
Key Stats
- VMI scored five runs off seven hits.
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Owen Prince delivered the game-winning RBI and finished the day with a pair of hits and two RBIs.
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Eli Tyndall threw five innings with a pair of strikeouts.
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Buddy Baker gets his fifth win after tossing the final two innings and allowing no runs.
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Easton Ogle,
Cole Raile, and
Seth Buchanan tacked on an RBI apiece.
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Ayden Schnarrs and
Grayson Fitzwater were hit by pitches twice.
- Buchanan hit a solo home run and scored two of VMI's runs.
Scoring Summary
First Inning: Both sides got busy to open the game. Raile's RBI single made it 1-0. ETSU backed it up by scoring on a double play to knot it at one.
Second Inning: The Bucs scored on a fielding error by the Keydets to take the lead.
Fourth Inning: Buchanan's solo blast tied it once again, but a bases-clearing triple from ETSU flipped the lead once more, 3-2.
Sixth Inning: A Bucs' home run doubled up their lead, 4-2.
Ninth Inning: With their backs against the wall, the Keydets issued a three-run final frame. With two outs, Ogle stepped up to the dish and delivered an RBI double to cut the deficit to just one. Down to his final strike, Prince sent a laser through the left side to clear the bases and drive in the game-winning run. Baker returned to the mound and took ETSU down in order.
Next up for the Keydets
The Keydets finish their road swing on Tuesday against William & Mary. First pitch in Williamsburg, Virginia, is set for 6 p.m.
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.
