Box Score
FARMVILLE, Va. -- Rob Dickinson had the game's only RBI with a single in the first inning, while Connor Bach and John Garrett combined on a four-hit shutout, to lead VMI to a 1-0 Big South Conference baseball win at Longwood University on Friday evening at Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville. It was a good old-fashioned pitching duel between the Keydets (10-14, 2-2 Big South) and the Lancers (10-11, 2-2 Big South) in the opening game of the three-game weekend series, as senior
Kyler Morgan/Lancaster, Pennsylvania and freshman
Dylan Caruso/Appomattox combined to allow just five hits during the setback.
UPDATE: Longwood and VMI will play a doubleheader on Saturday, March 23 at 1 p.m. at Bolding Stadium to complete the series, thus, no game on Sunday.
VMI scored what proved to be the only run of the contest in the first as Will Connerley (1-3) reached base on a fielding error, stole second and scored unearned on the RBI single from Dickinson (1-3, RBI). The Keydets had an opportunity to add to the advantage in the fifth inning after loading the bases with two outs, but a ground ball to third ended the threat. VMI also left two runners on base in both the seventh and eighth innings.
Longwood stranded a runner in each of the second, third, sixth and eighth innings before putting two runners on base with one out in the ninth after a double to the right field corner by junior
Alex Owens/Purcellville (1-4) and a single to right by classmate
Scott Burkett/Williamsburg (1-3). Unfortunately, a pop up to first base and a called third strike for the last out left the final margin at 1-0. Sophomore
Brandon Delk/Newport News (1-4) and freshman
Colton Konvicka/Richmond (1-4) had the other two hits for the Lancers.
Morgan (2-2) started for Longwood and pitched the first 7.0 innings, yielding five hits and the one unearned run with four walks and seven strikeouts. Caruso tossed the final 2.0 scoreless innings for the Lancers, allowing no hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
Bach (1-2) started for VMI and pitched the first 8.0 innings, allowing just two hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Garrett (3) earned the save for the Keydets with the final shutout inning on the mound, yielding two hits with no walks and one strikeout.
