GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Dax Roper went 3-for-4, drove in three runs, and scored twice to propel Furman past VMI, 11-4, in Southern Conference baseball action Saturday afternoon at Latham Stadium.

The game, which consumed 2:36 of actual playing time, was interrupted for four hours and 20 minutes due to lightning and rains in the Greenville area.

The Paladins (19-27, 8-9 SoCon) and Keydets (14-34, 8-12 SoCon) will meet at 1:00 p.m. in Sunday's series deciding game.

VMI built a 3-0 third inning lead against Furman starting pitcher David Dunlavey (4-7), the SoCon's reigning pitcher of the week, before the Paladins tallied nine unanswered runs to take command.

Furman began its comeback in the third inning, plating four runs on five hits, starting with an RBI double by Banks Griffith that cleared the head of Keydet left fielder Don Goodes to score Jared Mihalik and get the Paladins on the board.

The Paladins tallied two more runs in the fourth on Griffith's second RBI of the contest, a single that again plated Mihalik, and a Roper sacrifice fly.

Furman made it 8-2 with a two-run fifth and tacked on single runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth to complete a scoring stretch of six consecutive frames.

Griffith, who homered in Friday's series opener, registered a 2-for-4 performance with two RBI and three runs scored, and Mihalik doubled twice and crossed home plate three times, raising his batting average to .350 over the last 14 games since taking over for injured Paladin senior first baseman John Michael Boswell.

Furman finished with 13 hits.

Dunlavey overcame the shaky start to pitch into the sixth before play was halted due to the weather and the Paladins holding an 8-3 lead.  He was credited with the win after yielding three runs, two earned, on five hits over five innings.  He walked two and struck out five.

Nik Verbeke took the mound for Dunlavey upon the resumption of play and worked three innings, allowing a run on three hits.

Furman's comeback came primarily at the expense of Keydet starting and losing pitcher Adam Jewell (0-9), who was roughed up for six runs on seven hits over 3 1/3 frames.

Callen Nuccio had three of VMI's nine hits, including his second triple of the series.

Hunter Reid, Athletic Communications