FINAL: VCU 12 (6-7), Penn 5 (1-6)

LOCATION: The Diamond – Richmond, Va.

VCU STARTERS: Farrar (CF), Kerrigan (LF), Davis (3B), Machin (SS), Carpenter (1B), Acker (RF), Gransback (DH), Haymaker (C), Mickelson (2B), Thompson (SP).

PENN STARTERS: Tesch (CF), Bossart (C), Greskoff (RF), McCarry (1B), Levison (LF), McKinnon (DH), Mincher (SS), Montaldo (3B), Schroth (2B), Reitcheck (SP)

THE BASICS: In the home opener at the Diamond, the Rams capitalized on eight Penn errors en route to a 12-5 drubbing of the Quakers. Vimael Machin had a banner day, going 4-for-4 and driving in three runs in VCU's victory, the team's third straight. Sean Thompson was terrific coming out of the bullpen, throwing 6.1 innings and allowing just one run while striking out eight.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• VCU did not wait to get things going offensively, beginning the game with four straight base hits that would all lead to a 2-0 advantage after just one inning.
• Penn got of those runs back and more in the top of the second. Mitch Montaldo crushed a 3-run home run to left field to put his team on top, and they would later draw a bases loaded walk to bring in another run and make the score 4-2.The bottom of the third would see the Rams get one of those runs back on a fielder's choice that scored Machin. 
• Thompson really found a groove once he came out to the mound for the third inning. He would strike out six of the next eight batters he faced and wouldn't run into any trouble with Quaker hitters until later in the eighth inning.
• In the meantime, VCU was stringing together hits and taking advantage of several Penn defensive miscues. In the bottom of the fifth the Rams plated two runs to take back the lead, 5-4. The first run came thanks to two separate errors on one play by the Penn second baseman. A bobble allowed Darian Carpenter to reach first and a throwing error trying to get him out helped Matt Davis round third and score from second. Another run came across in the next inning on a sacrific fly by Jimmy Kerrigan.
• The Quakers would pull within one, 6-5, in the top of the eighth, but the Rams would really break the game wide open in the bottom half of the frame. Six runs would come in to score in the VCU half of the eighth thanks in large part to three walks, an error, and four passed balls. Nine batters came to the plate in the most productive offensive inning of baseball this season for the Rams. The only hit in the six-run eighth inning came on a double by Machin.
• Thomas Gill came in for the ninth inning and proceeded to strike out the side and put an exclamation point on VCU's 12-5 victory.

QUOTABLE: "It's always great to start the year off with a win, so congratulations to the guys for getting that. Sean Thompson came in after we got off to a shaky start in the second inning; he got us out of a tight jam and then carried us for the next six innings. He gave us a chance to comeback and settle things down and win this game. The offense competed in their at-bats today, we put balls in play and we were able to drive in some runs in the middle part of the game. We did run into a few too many outs on the basepaths. We'll have to play a little smarter on the bases tomorrow if we want to come away with a series win." -Head Coach Shawn Stiffler

UP NEXT: The Rams continue the midweek series with Penn tomorrow (March 11) at 3:00 p.m.