LEXINGTON, Va. – The Presbyterian College received a
three-run home run from Tony Micklon (Sumter, S.C.) but dropped its series
opener at VMI on Friday, 10-5.
PC moves 9-15 on the year and 0-4 in Big South Conference
play. The Keydets pick up their first conference win to improve to 7-14 overall
and 1-3 in league action.
Micklon hit a three-run shot in the fourth, marking the team's
league-leading 15th homer of the year. Kenny Bryant (Goose Creek, S.C.) led the team at the plate, going 3-for-4 on the day.
Starting pitcher Bud Jeter (Columbia, S.C.) went six innings for the Blue Hose, allowing six runs and striking out a season-high five.
Berkley Hawkins went 3-for-3 for VMI.
PC led midway through the game and launched a late rally in the ninth.
VMI grabbed an early advantage, finding a run in the second and
scoring a pair in the third. The Keydets used a double and two groundouts to go
ahead 1-0 in the second and then took a 3-0 lead on a walk and two hits in
the next inning. Jacob Morley drove in the third run by sending a full-count
pitch to centerfield for an RBI double.
The Blue Hose tied the game on one swing before pulling
ahead the fourth. Kenny Bryant took four straight balls for a leadoff walk and
Robby Swab (Kernersville, N.C.) smacked a 1-2 pitch through the right side for
a single. Swab ran his hitting streak to four games and his on-base streak to 11th, tying for the longest of the season.
Micklon then delivered his second home run of the season to bring in
three runs and pull PC even, 3-3.
Jay Lizanich (Greer, S.C.) kept up his hot play, singling
and moving to second on an Andrew Williams (Augusta, Ga.) sacrifice bunt. Gabe
Grammer (Irmo, S.C.) drove home the freshman on a single and PC led, 4-3.
VMI took back the lead in the sixth inning. Berkley Hawkins
lifted a two-run home run in the sixth that put the home side ahead, 5-4.
The Keydets added sixth runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Gary Leclair and Hawkins each posted two-run doubles as part of a five-hit
inning as VMI lead, 10-4.
The Blue Hose mounted a comeback bid in the bottom of the
ninth. Brad Zebedis (Rock Hill, S.C.) drew a leadoff walk and Bryant knocked a
full-count double down the right field line to push pinch-runner John Wagner
(Olney, Md.) to third. Swab came through at the plate again, grounding out and
scoring Wagner.
Unfortunately for PC, the rally ended with the run as VMI
took the win, 10-5.
The two teams meet on Saturday at 2 p.m. for the second game
of the three-game series.
VMI 10, Presbyterian College 5 (Mar 23, 2012 at Lexington, Va.)
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Presbyterian College 000 400 001 - 5 13 1 (9-15, 0-4)
VMI................. 012 002 50X - 10 15 1 (7-14, 1-3)
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Pitchers: Presbyterian College - JETER, Bud; CORBIN, Tim(7); MOSTELLER, Buck(7);
FERGUSON, Nick(7) and SWAB, Robby. VMI - COWGILL, C.; GARRETT, J.(7) and WINN, M..
Win-COWGILL, C.(4-0) Save-GARRETT, J.(2) Loss-JETER, Bud(1-5) T-2h 26 A-250
HR PC - MICKLON, Tony.
HR VMI - HAWKINS, B..
JETER, B. faced 1 batter in the 7th.
MOSTELLER faced 2 batters in the 7th.
