VMI Baseball lost to Mercer on May 10 at OrthoGeorgia Park, ending the series with an 11-1 run-rule defeat. With this loss, the Keydets are now locked in as the eighth seed for the upcoming Southern Conference Tournament.
The game started with VMI’s Grayson Fitzwater hitting a solo home run in the first inning. This was Fitzwater’s twentieth home run of the season, making him the first Keydet to reach that mark and moving him into fifth place in single-season RBIs for VMI with 59. Despite this early lead, Mercer quickly responded and took control of the game.
Mercer tied up the score in the second inning with a home run and then surged ahead during a five-run third inning that featured multiple home runs. The Bears continued to add runs throughout the game, including another solo shot in the fourth and more runs via home runs and sacrifice flies later on. The contest ended after eight innings due to the mercy rule when Mercer scored their eleventh run.
Ayden Schnarr contributed two hits for VMI and stole one base during Sunday’s matchup. Overall, VMI managed just five hits compared to Mercer’s dominant offensive performance.
Looking ahead, VMI will return home for a four-game homestand starting Tuesday against Norfolk State. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m., as they close out their regular season before heading into tournament play.
