No. 30 V.M.I. Sweeps Double Header From Charleston Southern

Senior Wes Brundridge

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Buccaneers left 12 runners on base in game one, and struggled at the plate in game two as 30th-ranked V.M.I. swept the Saturday double-header from Charleston Southern continuing their best start in school history with 7-2 and 6-4 victories over CSU. The Keydets improve to 15-4 on the season and jump out to a 2-0 Big South record, while CSU falls to 11-13 with an 0-2 League mark as both teams started Big South play.

Senior Wes Brundridge had three hits on the day to lead the way. Brandon Roberts took the loss on the mound in game one, falling to 1-3 on the season, while Ryan Rowland moved to 3-2 with the loss in game two.

V.M.I. scored in four of the first five innings to take a 7-1 lead, holding off CSU to take game one, 7-2. The Bucs got five scoreless innings of pitching from reliever T.J. Green, who gave up just one hit to the Keydets.

V.M.I. loaded the bases in each of the first two innings, scoring a combined four runs, all of which came by virtue of a walk, three with hit-batters. Then the bats came alive as they added on run in the fourth, and two more in the fifth, thanks to a two-run homerun by Thane Smith, knocking CSU starter Brandon Roberts out of the game after four innings of work. Roberts would give up seven runs on nine hits, but only three runs would be earned as the Buccaneers had two fielding errors in the first game.

With two on and one out in the first, Chris Krogmeier knocked an RBI single into right field to score Justin Fyle from second tying the game at 1-1. The Bucs would not score again until the seventh inning, when the Bucs would string three hits together. Pinch hitter Michael Obuchowski started the rally with a single, followed by a double down the line by Lionel Greene. A single by Brundridge would score the run, cutting into the lead.

The Bucs would not score again, though, as they dropped the Big South opener 7-2 to the Keydets.

Game One Box

Greene tried to start the CSU bats with a triple down the right-field line in the third of game two, but with two outs already recorded, the Bucs were unable to score the run.

Down 6-0, the Bucs would make some noise in the sixth inning, scoring four runs, cutting the lead to two at 6-4. The first four batters all reached safely with singles by Mark Perry, Brundridge and Fyle, with Greene reaching after being hit by a pitch. Stephen Herzog and Sean Doherty also recorded singles in the inning as all four of the Bucs’ runs, and four of the five hits came in the inning.

With a comeback in their sights, V.M.I. closer Kevin Crum came in to close the door, getting his 11th save of the season in as many tries, taking the lead in the country for saves.

The two teams will face off in the final game on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Buccaneer Field.

Game Two Box