Friday's Baseball Roundup

VMI 16, Norfolk State 4
VMI Baseball returned to the win column with an emphatic 16-4 win over Norfolk State Friday afternoon at Lamore Field at Gray-Minor Stadium. It only took the Keydets (8-1) seven innings to get past the Spartans, giving VMI its fourth run-rule triumph of the season. The Keydets have now scored 10 or more runs in all eight wins and have extended their home winning streak to five games.

ETSU 10, Siena 0
The ETSU baseball team continued to play extremely well at home as it defeated Siena by a score of 10-0 in seven innings on Friday afternoon. Friday's win improves ETSU to 7-2 overall this season, 7-1 at home and 31-6 in games played at Thomas Stadium since the beginning of last season. ETSU's offense, defense and pitching continues to fare well in 2025. Eight of the nine Bucs that started the game recorded at least one hit, the team did not commit an error in the field and the tandem of Landon Crumbley and Andrew Cotton combined for team's first shutout this season.

Western Carolina 27, Rider 5

The Citadel 2, Yale 0
Powered by a notable 7.0-inning start from Will Holmes (2-0), The Citadel (5-4) edged past non-conference adversary Yale (3-1) in the opener of a three-game weekend series, topping the visiting Bulldogs via a final 2-0 margin Friday evening at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.

Wofford 13, Le Moyne 3
The Wofford baseball team was in stride Friday evening at Russell C. King Field, downing Le Moyne 13-3 in just seven innings to begin the weekend set. Wofford improves to 9-1 with the win as the Dolphins fall to 0-8. Branton Little (2-0) started for Wofford and earned the win after pitching 5.0 frames with three runs allowed on seven hits. He struck out a career-best seven batters. Austin Laughlin finished off the final 2.0 innings in relief, allowing no hits or runs with his lone blemish being a walk. He struck out two.

Mercer 7, High Point 1
Colton Cosper and Jess Ackerman combined for a masterful pitching performance against one of the country's hottest lineups and the offense delivered some timely hits as the Mercer baseball team won their ninth consecutive game, 7-1 over High Point on Friday night. Cosper (1-0) turned in his best effort of the season against a High Point lineup that entered the weekend fifth in the country in runs scored, tossing five shutout innings with three hits allowed, seven strikeouts and no walks. Ackerman pitched the final four innings and did not skip a beat, limiting the Panthers to one run on four hits. On the night, the two left-handers combined for 11 strikeouts and just one walk. Ty Dalley (3-for-5, 2 RBI) led the way for the Bears offensively, while Ely Brown (1-for-4, 2 RBI) launched his first home run of the season to put the game away in the eighth.

Pittsburg 8, UNCG 4
The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) baseball team was defeated, 8-4, while facing the Pittsburgh (Pitt) Panthers in non-conference action to begin a three-game weekend series on Friday evening at UNCG Baseball Stadium. The Panthers got on the board first with a pair of runs in the top half of the first frame. It began with Luke Cantwell roping a single through the left side. He later scored on a double down the first-base line from AJ Nessler. After reaching on a walk earlier in the inning, Ryan Zuckerman scored to make it 2-0 Panthers on a sacrifice fly hit to right-center by Lorenzo Carrier.