Box Score LEXINGTON, Va. – Host VMI belted four home runs, including a grand slam by Red Dowdell, en route to a 17-6 win over Norfolk State on Tuesday afternoon at Gray-Minor Stadium.

The loss was the fifth in a row for the Spartans, who are now 5-14 overall. VMI improved to 8-14.

The Keydets led 15-0 after four innings thanks in part to a seven-run second inning and a six-run third. After plating a run thanks to a balk by NSU starter Jay Dee Johnson in the first, VMI struck for seven in the second. Will Connerley and Rob Dickinson hit back-to-back homers off Johnson in the second, with Connerley hitting a three-run shot and Dickinson a solo blast, to make it 8-0.

Brandon Angus greeted NSU reliever Andre Moore with a solo homer to start to third, and Dowdell capped the inning with a grand slam to give VMI a 14-0 lead.

Trailing 15-0 in the fifth, the Spartans finally got to VMI starter Lucas Cash. Freshman Robert Depp and junior Chase Kyriacou hit RBI singles, and Mikey Bruno and Zach Markel drew bases-loaded walks to complete the four-run uprising.

The Spartans got within 15-6 in the sixth. Freshman Robert Barefoot had his second hit of the day, an infield single, to drive in Kyle Vaas from third. Bruno followed with a fielder's choice which plated Cody Ellis with NSU's sixth run of the day.

But VMI added a run on Ray Lopez's RBI double in the sixth and Dickinson's run-scoring single in the seventh to keep NSU at bay.
Dickinson, Dowdell and Jordan Tarsovich all had three hits for VMI, which out-hit the Spartans 18-7. Connerley, Angus, Lopez and Bryan Cash added two hits apiece. Dowdell had four RBI while Tarsovich and Connerley knocked in three apiece.

Barefoot was 2-for-4 for the Spartans, his first career two-hit game. Ellis was 1-for-3 with two runs scored, and Bruno knocked in a pair.

Cash (1-0) was awarded the win despite allowing four hits and four runs in 4.1 innings pitched. Johnson (0-1) took the loss for NSU after giving up eight hits and seven runs over two innings.

The Spartans are back in action this weekend in their second MEAC Northern Division matchup of the year, a three-game set at UMES on Saturday and Sunday.