FINAL/12: VCU 5 (2-4), Pittsburgh 4 (2-5) (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) – Ebbets Field at the Ripken 

VCU STARTERS: Acker (RF), Bunn (LF) Farrar (CF), Machin (SS), Dressler (1B), Davis (3B), Kerrigan (DH), Haymaker (C), Berezo (2B), Dwyer (SP)

PITTSBURGH STARTERS: Wright (RF), LeBlanc (SS), Frabasilio (2B), Kowalczyk (C), Vazquez (DH), Parry (DH), Maldonado (CF), Hess (1B), Sherman (3B), Zeuch (SP)

THE BASICS: Ram pitchers were overpowering tonight, striking out 19 and walking none in the 5-4, 12-inning victory over Pittsburgh. Senior Daniel Concepcion threw six shutout innings in relief, striking out nine and giving up two hits to help lead his team to victory. At the plate, senior Vimael Machin reached base in five of his six at-bats and his bases loaded walk in the top of the 12th inning brough in the go-ahead run.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• VCU struck first tonight on a first inning double from Machin that scored Cody Acker. Pittsburgh would answer in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run home run from catcher Alex Kowalczyk.
• Junior Walker Haymaker would tie the game up at 2-2 with his RBI single in the top of the fourth inning. Senior Heath Dwyer responded to the first inning dinger by striking out six batters in the next three innings.
• Pittsburgh launched another two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 4-2 lead.
• That lead wouldn't last long; the Rams scored two runs in the next half inning tie the game up at 4-4. That inning started off with a single from Machin, who advanced to third base on two consecutive passed balls. Alex Gransback, pinch running for Shane Dressler, stole second base and he, along with Machin, would score on a two-run single from junior Jimmy Kerrigan.
• Innings seven, eight, and nine were more of a pitching clinic than anything. Concepcion and Pittsburgh's Matt Pidich combined for 10 strikouts in those three innings and no runners advanced past first base.
• The Rams were able pull ahead in the top of the 12th. Acker led the inning off with a single and James Bunn followed that with a walk. Sophomore Logan Farrar reached base after getting hit by a pitch, and Machin stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and no outs. He would draw a walk that would force in a run that made the score 5-4 in favor of VCU.
• Concepcion finished up his dominant performance with a 1-2-3 12th inning that ended with two strikeouts, cementing a victory for the Rams.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Same story, different game. VCU's bullpen has now logged 22.1 innings this season and still has not allowed an earned run. Concepcion and fellow senior Matt Lees contributed out of the pen.

QUOTABLE

• "It felt really great to win tonight especially in extra innings. The guys should be really proud of themselves for the effort and energy they played with. Obviously tonight started with our pitching; Heath, Matt and Danny were fabulous tonight. We played twelve innings and did not walk a guy or commit an error. That is an outstanding effort. Offensively we really just kept grinding all night. Vimael Machin had a big night for us with four knocks, but this was a total team effort on the offensive side." -Coach Shawn Stiffler