LEXINGTON, Va. - The Presbyterian College baseball team launched a ninth-inning comeback bid in the series finale against the VMI Keydets on Sunday, but the rally fell short as the Keydets held on to win, 10-7.
PC moves to 9-17 on the year and 0-6 in Big South play. VMI improves to 9-14 and 3-3 in league action.
Brandon Paul (Augusta, Ga.) went 3-for-3 on the day and drove in four RBI, becoming the second member of the Blue Hose to drive in four runs in a game this season. Paul also hit his first career home run in the effort, cranking a leadoff homer in the top of the fourth.
Robby Swab (Kernersville, N.C.) also posted three RBI, matching a season high.
Both sides tallied 12 hits on the day.
Down 10-4 in the top of the ninth, the Blue House mounted a rally that began on a Billy Motroni (Goose Creek, S.C.) leadoff single up the middle. Kenny Bryant (Goose Creek, S.C.) followed with a single through the right side to set up a Paul double that scored the Blue Hose pair.
Paul advanced to third on the play and came home when Swab laced a single to left, pulling PC to within three. John Wagner (Olney, Md.) replaced Swab on the basepaths and worked his way to third on a wild pitch and a balk, but the Blue Hose reached three outs before cashing in and VMI took the game.
Starting pitcher Beau Dees (Blenheim, S.C.) took the loss but struck out six Keydets, setting a new high-water mark for Blue Hose pitchers this season and a new career-high for the freshman.
VMI took a 4-0 lead after the third inning, scoring one run in the second and three in the third. Jacob Morley hit a three-run home run to left field in the third and the Keydets put together five hits through the two innings. Morley led the Keydets at the plate, going 3-for-4 and tallying four RBI.
PC then scored four runs over two innings by using the same pattern. Paul's leadoff homer in the fourth put the Blue Hose on the board before PC scored three in the fifth.
A Brad Zebedis (Rock Hill, S.C.) walk and a Bryant hit-by-pitch put two aboard, allowing Paul to smack a double that scored Zebedis. Swab followed with a two-run double that tied the game, 4-4.
VMI answered, however, using a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning and four in the seventh to take a six-run lead.
Michael Ricchi (McKinney, Texas) made a solid relief outing late in the game, pitching the final one and one-third innings for PC and allowing only one hit.
VMI 10, Presbyterian College 7 (Mar 25, 2012 at Lexington, Va.)
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Presbyterian College 000 130 003 - 7 12 2 (9-17, 0-6 BSC)
VMI................. 013 020 40X - 10 12 2 (9-14, 3-3 BSC)
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Pitchers: Presbyterian College - DEES, Beau; MORRIS, Ryan(7); RICCHI, Michael(7) and
ZEBEDIS, Brad. VMI - BROWN, Jeremy; DEAL, Andrew(5); DEVINE, Michael(7) and MONTAGUE, Andrew;
WINN, Matt.
Win-DEAL, Andrew(1-1) Save-DEVINE, Michael(3) Loss-DEES, Beau(1-4) T-2:55 A-204
HR PC - PAUL, Brandon (1).
HR VMI - PICCIRILLI, George (3); MORLEY, Jacob (6).
Weather: 60 degrees, fighting drizzle
