LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI baseball team played one of the best teams in the state tough Tuesday, but the Keydets' rally fell just short as Old Dominion University earned an 8-6 victory in non-conference play from Gray-Minor Stadium.

VMI scored twice in the bottom of the second inning. Reeves Whitmore led off with a double and scored on a Justin Nase single and Trey Morgan doubled home Nase. After an ODU single run in the third, VMI re-opened a two-run lead with a tally in the fifth when Ty Swaim doubled to score Brett Cook.

The Monarchs plated five runs in the top of the sixth inning, powered by home runs from Robbie Petacci and Kenny Levari, and scored another run in the seventh to make the score 7-3.

The Keydets loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the eighth and runs came home on a Morgan sacrifice fly and a Will Knight RBI groundout. Cole Garrett later doubled to cut the lead to 7-6.

ODU scored an insurance run in the ninth and VMI had a runner on and one out in the bottom of the frame, but the visitors' Brett Smith got the next two outs to earn a save.

Swaim finished 3-4 with a walk and Whitmore had two hits and a walk. Nase had two hits and Morgan recorded a hit and a walk. Alex LaRou started for VMI and was effective for his three innings on the mound, allowing two hits, no walks and one earned run. Nathan Light gave up just one hit with one earned run in his 2 1/3 innings of the bullpen, and Caden Plummer finished the game with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief with six strikeouts.

Josh Trujillo and Levari were each 2-4 with a home run for ODU (35-15).

VMI outhit ODU 12-9 but left 12 runners on base compared to just six for the Monarchs.

The Keydets (16-36) host Southern Conference frontrunner Wofford College in a three-game series Thursday through Saturday. The action for the final conference series of the year is slated to begin Thursday at 6 p.m.