HIGH POINT, N.C. – VMI Baseball had a few powerful innings, but it was High Point who came out on top in the series opener Friday night at Williard Stadium.
 
The Keydets (26-15, 3-9 SoCon) put together a near comeback in the final few innings, but the Panthers' (27-14, 11-4 Big South) bats stayed hot throughout in a 7-5 final.
 
Key Stats
- VMI scored five runs off seven hits.
- Grayson Fitzwater hit his 18th home run, tying the VMI single-season record he set in 2024.
- Owen Prince extended his on-base streak to 41 games with a hit by pitch and an RBI single.
- Bradley Garner had a pair of doubles, two runs, and an RBI.
- Cole Raile earned an RBI, his fifth in five games.
- Justin Spiegel and Nolan Williamson had two strikeouts apiece.
 
 
 
Scoring Summary
First Inning: Raile stayed hot with an RBI single.
Fourth Inning: HPU tied the game with a home run.
Fifth Inning: A couple of hits gave the Panthers a 3-1 lead.
Sixth Inning: HPU scored two more off a sacrifice bunt and a single.
Eighth Inning: VMI started a comeback with a Garner double and Fitzwater's moon shot, cutting the deficit to just one. But the Panthers responded with a two-run blast to extend their lead.
Ninth Inning: Back-to-back hits from Kazuya Jordan and Prince had the Keydets rallying with two outs.
 
 
Next up for the Keydets
The Keydets turn their focus to game two of the series with the Panthers. First pitch is at 6 p.m.
 
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