CHARLESTON, S.C. – After pounding out 17 hits in a win against Charleston Southern yesterday, Virginia Commonwealth University managed just four Sunday as the Rams fell 5-2 in the series finale at CSU Ballpark.

VCU suffers its first loss of the season and slips to 2-1, while Charleston Southern secures its first victory of the 2010 campaign and improves to 1-2.

For the second day in a row, the Bucs had a big second inning, posting four runs on three hits.  Tyler Thornburg singled through the left side to start the frame and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Rams starter Michael Graham.  The VCU southpaw walked the next two batters before Scotty Radabaugh's single to right put the Bucs on top 2-0.

Charleston Southern wasn't finished as Tom Burkett crossed the plate following a balk and Brantley Meier came up with an RBI single to complete the Bucs' four-run second inning.

Taylor Perkins, who received the start behind the plate for the Rams, got VCU on the board with a solo home run over the left field wall to lead off the third inning.

VCU pulled within 4-2 after scoring a run in the top of the sixth.  Richard Gonzalez began the inning with a double to left center and came home two batters later following a one-out double by Joe Van Meter.

The Rams' two-run margin didn't last long as Charleston Southern's Will Bedenbaugh added an insurance run with a homer in the bottom of the inning to make it 5-2.

Gonzalez, John Lenherr, Perkins and Van Meter each had one hit apiece for the Rams, while Matt Still paced Charleston Southern with a 2-for-3 outing.

VCU returns to action on Feb. 26 when it hosts Fairfield in the first of a three-game set.