VMI baseball split the doubleheader, earning a walk-off victory in game one before falling in game two at Lamore Field in Gray-Minor Stadium April 5.
The Keydets (20-13, 4-5 Southern Conference) rebounded from the tough outing to the Bears April 4, rallying in the ninth inning to get an 8-7 win in game one. However, Mercer was able to cap off the series with a 13-4 triumph in game two to take the series.
Game One
Game One Key Stats
- VMI scored eight runs off 12 hits with eight RBIs.
- Cole Raile ’27 played hero with a walk-off two-RBI single to cap off a three-for-four, four-RBI performance.
- Owen Prince ’26, Bradley Garner ’28, and Boston Torres ’28 each tallied two hits.
- Garner scored twice and had one stolen base.
- Jaxon Lloyd ’25 tossed 6.2 brilliant innings, striking out nine.
- Ayden Schnarrs ’28 scored two times.
- Grayson Fitzwater ’26 smashed a double to extend his hitting streak to nine games.
- Clark Driscoll ’26 earned the victory after facing one batter and striking them out to stop the Bears’ surge.
Game One Scoring Summary
- VMI took the first swing as Raile singled in a run in the opening frame.
- Kazuya Jordan ’26 earned an RBI after an infield single scored Schnarrs, making it 2-0.
- The Keydets added another two runs in the third off a Raile sacrifice fly and a Torres single.
- Mercer scored once in the fifth to cut the deficit to 4-1.
- In the sixth inning, Ryan Peterson ’25 laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to score Raile and extend the Keydets’ lead back to four runs.
- However, a three-run home run in the seventh put the Bears back in the running.
- Mercer took its first lead of the day in the eighth inning off a pair of RBI singles.
- The ninth inning started with another Mercer run to make it 7-5.
- The Keydets rallied hard in the final frame, getting the first two runners on base before Jordan moved them 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt, setting up Prince for an RBI groundout to pull within one.
- After Garner and Fitzwater walked, Raile stepped up with the bases juiced and two outs. Down to his last strike, the designated hitter ripped a single into the right-center gap to score Garner and Cole Cook ’28 to walk off the Bears.
Game Two
Game Two Key Stats
- VMI had four runs off seven hits with four RBIs.
- Torres went two for three with three RBIs and two runs, including a home run and a double.
- With his success in game two, Torres has now reached back in all 33 games this season.
- Prince tacked on a pair of hits with one double and scored a run.
- With hits today, Jordan and Torres have a 10-game hitting streak.
- Schnarrs recorded a hit and an RBI.
- Jordan eclipsed 30 stolen bases on the year after swiping one bag.
- After getting hit by a pitch, Fitzwater extended his on-base streak to 28 games.
- Justin Spiegel ’27 limited the Bears’ offensive opportunities, shoving 4.1 innings, allowing no runs and striking out two.
Game Two Scoring Summary
- It was a loud first inning for Mercer as the Bears plated four runs off four hits.
- VMI got one back in the second off a Schnarrs single.
- Mercer answered with three more runs in the third to make it 7-1.
- The Keydets put up a three-spot in the same inning after Torres lifted his 10th homer of the season to right centerfield to pull with three again.
- However, the Bears would score six unanswered runs to pile on a 13-4 lead.
Editor’s Note: This article was first published on vmikeydets.com.
