LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Baseball's Friday doubleheader was nothing short of a classic, winning both games in come-from-behind fashion to sweep Western Illinois at Lamore Field at Gray-Minor Stadium
The Keydets battled back and scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth of game one to defeat the Leathernecks, 8-7. In game two, VMI was down by five runs before scoring eight unanswered to storm back and walk off WIU, 10-7, in seven innings. The Keydets move to 12-2 while the Leathernecks fall to 4-9.
Highlighting the day was
Grayson Fitzwater, who smashed four home runs in two games, becoming the new VMI career home runs leader with 47 career bombs. Fitzwater now leads the program in home runs and RBIs.
Game 1 Key Stats
- VMI scored eight runs off 11 hits.
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Bradley Garner went three-for-five with five RBIs and a homer.
- Fitzwater and
Seth Buchanan hit home runs.
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Owen Prince doubled twice.
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Peyton Dhein went five innings in his start, earning five strikeouts with one earned run.
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Buddy Baker cleaned up in the final two innings, earning his second win.
Game 1 Scoring Summary
- WIU struck first with a four-run second inning.
- Fitzwater's sacrifice fly scored Prince to put VMI on the board, followed by Garner's RBI single to cut the deficit in half in the third inning.
- Buchanan launched his first home run of the season in the fourth inning to make it 4-3.
- In the sixth inning, Garner mashed a grand slam deep to left field to flip the script and make it 7-4.
- The Leathernecks clawed back in the seventh and eighth innings, tying it at seven apiece.
- On a full count, Fitzwater rocketed his first bomb of the day to deep centerfield to take the lead.
Game 2 Key Stats
- VMI plated 10 runs off 11 hits.
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Grayson Fitzwater homered three times, ending the game by going four-for-four with five RBIs and three runs.
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Bradley Garner and
Ayden Schnarrs each went two-for-three, while Schnarrs had four RBIs.
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Seth Buchanan hit a walk-off moonshot to left field for his second home run of the day.
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Andrew Jones tossed five strikeouts out of the bullpen.
- Getting his first win on the bump was
Tyler Bassett, who shoved two innings and allowed just one hit with a pair of punchouts.
Game 2 Scoring Summary
- Once again, the Leathernecks kicked off the scoring by plating one in the first inning.
- Fitzwater's first home run of the game was a solo shot over the scoreboard to tie it at 1-1.
- WIU retaliated with three runs in the second inning.
- Buchanan got his first RBI on a groundout to score Schnarrs, cutting the deficit to just two.
- The Leathernecks added three more in the third inning on a home run, 7-2.
- VMI pieced together an eight-run surge, starting with a Fitzwater double in the third inning to add one run. Fitzwater came back to the dish in the fifth inning and belted his second homer of the game, followed by Garner's solo shot immediately after to make it a 7-6 ballgame. In the final inning, Fitzwater smashed his 47th career, record-setting home run to tie the game at 7-7. With two ducks on the pond, Buchanan took a 1-0 pitch deep into the Lexington night to walk it off.
Next up for the Keydets
The Keydets continue the series on Saturday against the Leathernecks. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m., with the game being broadcast live on ESPN+.
For more information, visit VMIKeydets.com or follow us on social media at VMI Athletics.
