FINAL: VCU 5 (5-7), Jacksonville 4 (6-9) (Jacksonville, Fla.) – Sessions Stadium

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

JACKSONVILLE STARTERS: Gibson (CF), Amendolare (2B), Marabell (LF), Hays (RF), Dillard (DH), DeWitt (1B), Gould (SS), Ruckel (C), Seifert (3B), Russell (SP)

THE BASICS: Another day, another close game for VCU; this time the Rams came out on top with a 5-4 victory over Jacksonville. Heading into the bottom of the ninth up three, VCU gave up two runs on an error to allow the Dolphins to come within one, but that's as close as they'd come. The offense smacked 11 hits today with Walker Haymaker, Matt Davis, and Alex Gransback all collecting multi-hit days.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• For the second day in a row the Rams were able to grab an early lead by scoring first. In the top of the third Alex Gransback reached first after taking a pitch to the body, then Cooper Mickelson singled to right field to give VCU two men on base with just one out. Logan Farrar laced another single to right that scored Gransback, giving the Rams a 1-0 lead and also extended his hitting streak to six games.
• The bottom half of the inning gave starter Heath Dwyer quite the scare, with Jacksonville loading the bases on three consecutive base hits. The lefty was able to work himself out of the jam though and got out of the inning without any damage.
• Up to this point the VCU pitching staff had been able to hold Jacksonville scoreless through the first five innings. Dwyer nearly made it to that point, but a two-out base hit by Angelo Amendolare preceded a deep double down the right field line by Connor Marabell that ended up tying the game at 1-1.
• The Rams returned the favor in the very next inning. Farrar walked to lead it off and, after advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt, he would score on a deep double from Matt Davis, this one down the left field line. The Dolphins would put a man on second in the bottom of the sixth and a blooper to shallow centerfield threatened to bring him around to score, but Mickelson made a fantastic leaping catch to preserve the 2-1 lead for VCU.
• The top of the seventh saw the Rams' offense plate two more runs to take a 4-1 lead. Walker Haymaker drove in the first run of the inning on a single to centerfield and Davis was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in the second. Prior to Davis' at-bat, James Bunn laid down a gorgeous bunt single that hugged the line almost three quarters of the way down to third base to load the bases.
• Things got interesting in the bottom half of the seventh; the Dolphins put two men on base with one out to chase VCU flamethrower Garrett Pearson, bringing in Thomas Gill who put a man on, but also got a Jacksonville pinch hitter to pop out to first base. Matt Lees came in from the 'pen to be the third Ram pitcher of the inning and, with the bases loaded and two outs, struck out Nathan Koslowski for the third out of the inning.
• It wouldn't be a VCU game without a sweat-inducing finish. Jacksonville loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth on a controversial call that erased what was previously an out at third base. Lees struck out JJ Gould and, with the Dolphins down to their last strike, scored two runs on a VCU error to pull within one. That's as close as they'd come, however, and VCU came away with a 5-4 win and another weekend series victory. 

UP NEXT

• VCU is scheduled to finally return to the Diamond this Tuesday and Wednesday for a series with Penn.