SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Behind a five-run fourth inning, the Wofford baseball team completed a comeback 8-7 triumph Wednesday night at Russell C. King Field to open the series against VMI with a victory. The Terriers improve to 30-24 (7-12 SoCon) as the Keydets drop to 26-24 (5-14 SoCon).
 
With the win, Wofford has reached the 30-win threshold for the seventh consecutive season. It is the longest active 30-win streak in the Southern Conference.
 
The game was marked with a pair of weather-induced delays. First pitch was pushed back an hour from initial start time before a one-hour, 17-minute delay due to lightning in the area struck in the middle of the first.
 
Three Terriers toed the rubber with Dylan Rhadans making the start. He hurled 3.0 innings with four runs allowed and two strikeouts. Grant Comstock tossed 2.0 frames with three runs surrendered before Carter Rasmussen (6-2) took the hill and finished off the remaining 4.0 innings en route to the win. He allowed just one hit and three walks with no runs alongside six strikeouts.
 
"It's just one at a time," said Rasmussen of his outing. "Attack the next batter and hand it over to the offense, and I feel like a little bit of a broken record with that, but they're doing a great job getting the runs that we need to win the game."
 
VMI reliever Nathan Hawley (2-3) suffered the loss after giving up what proved to be the decisive run, which was unearned. He allowed four hits and a walk over the final 4.1 innings.
 
Wofford outhit VMI 12-9 with eight of the nine Terriers recording a base knock. All nine reached base as Cade Collins posted two walks despite no hits. Ryan Wynn led the way with a trio of hits, including a triple, beside two RBI. Niko Brini tied him for the team lead with a pair of RBI on his two hits, both of which went for extra bases with a triple and a double. Tyler Bak added two hits with a double and a RBI. Brini also swiped a base.
 
"I think it's just contagious," said Lucas Manning of the all-around offense performance. "When one guy has an at-bat, shows some fight, it just kind of passes on to the next guy, and that's all we need."
 
After each team went down in order in the first, Wofford struck first in the bottom of the second. Tyler Hare singled and moved to second on a wild pitch, and he then scored on Tyler Bak's double to center for the 1-0 edge.
 
VMI responded with three runs in the top of the third. A two-run double put the Keydets on the board, and another RBI made the score 3-1.
 
Wofford got a run back with a sacrifice fly by Ryan Wynn in the bottom of the frame to pull within 3-2.
 
The Keydets pushed back with another three-run inning in the top of the fourth. An RBI single started their scoring before a two-run single stretched the margin to 6-2 later in the frame.
 
The Terriers had a heavy response in the bottom of the fourth with five runs. David Wiley and Bak's singles put two on with two outs, and Wofford came up clutch from there. Lucas Manning singled on a diving play by the third baseman, whose throw sailed away to allow both runners to come home. Cade Collins walked before Niko Brini delivered a double to left center to bring both runners home. Brini then swiped third and scored when Ryan Wynn tripled to the right field corner as Wofford pulled ahead 7-6.
 
"It just took one guy to find a way on base," said Bak of the crucial big inning. "We just got our bats hot, and we kept going."
 
A solo homer tied the game for VMI in the top of the fifth, and the game entered a stalemate until the bottom of the seventh when Wofford broke the 7-7 tie. With two runners on base, a fielding error by VMI enabled the lead runner to score, pushing the Terriers ahead 8-7.
 
Carter Rasmussen held firm on the bump from there, posting the last two of his four total scoreless frames in the eighth and ninth to secure the Wofford win, 8-7, in game one of the series.
 
The series continues tomorrow evening with game two at Russell C. King Field. First pitch is slated for 5:30 p.m.