Box Score FINAL: VCU 15 (21-15, 6-4 A10), Saint Joseph's 9 (11-18, 3-6 A10)
LOCATION: Smithson Field – Philadelphia, Pa.
VCU STARTERS: Farrar (CF), Bunn (LF), Davis (3B), Machin (SS), Carpenter (1B), Hileman (DH), Acker (RF), Haymaker (C), Berezo (2B), Blanchard (SP)
SAINT JOSEPH'S STARTERS: Maul (SS), Boyd (2B), Brue (RF), Stafford (DH), Kancylarz (3B), Coghlin (1B), Jadacki (LF), Lau (C), Pater (CF), Vanderslice (SP)
THE BASICS: VCU's offense kept rolling in today's 15-9 series-opening victory over Saint Joseph's Vimael Machin and Logan Farrar provided the big swings, launching homeruns to right field and collecting three RBI apiece. Walker Haymaker added three hits of his own and Daane Berezo scored three times on the afternoon. Tyler Buckley and Matt Lees kept the Hawks' offense at bay in the middle of the game, allowing the Rams to build up what became an insurmountable lead. The Rams have now scored 26 runs so far this week in two games.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- As was the case in the last game they played, the Rams struck early and struck hard, scoring three runs in the top of the first. Vimael Machin and Brett Hileman each drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to left field, while Cody Acker singled through the right side of the infield to plate the third run of the inning.
- Matt Davis drove in another run in the top of the second with a triple to left-centerfield.
- In the bottom half of the frame Saint Joseph's responded with three runs of its own on a VCU error, bases loaded walk, and a sacrifice fly, respectively.
- In their next trip to the plate the Hawks would plate three more runs to take a 6-4 lead.
- The Rams would come back in a big way in the top of the fourth, scoring four runs and jumping ahead 8-6. Logan Farrar would score the go-ahead run on a passed ball and on the very next pitch Machin launched a solo homerun to right field, his first long ball of the season.
- Farrar would line a single into centerfield in the top of the fifth to add another run and in the top of the sixth a Saint Joseph's throwing error would lead to another VCU run, putting the score at 11-6.
- Another Hawks run would put them within four, but the Rams would get that run back in the top of the seventh when Daane Berezo broke for third base and the throw from the pitcher sailed over the third baseman's head. A sacrifice fly to deep left-center by Machin plated another run for the Rams.
- Tyler Buckley and Matt Lees entered the game in relief of starter Matt Blanchard and pitched well, accounting for just one run between the two of them and allowing zero walks in five innings pitched.
- Another multi-run inning came along in the eighth for VCU courtesy of Farrar, who launched a bomb to right field for his second homerun of the season and close out the 15-9 victory.
QUOTABLE: "That was a wild Friday game. I'm really proud of the way we came back after giving up the lead in the middle part of the game and how we took over the game in the later innings. I'm really proud of Tyler Buckley, coming in and settling things down for us and then Matt Lees came in throwing strikes and did a great job for us. The offense was good all day obviously with 11 hits. Logan Farrar and Matt Davis and Walker Haymaker all had big games for us. It was a wild game but a good one to win in that fashion." -Head Coach Shawn Stiffler
UP NEXT: Game two of this weekend series will take place tomorrow, Saturday, at 2 pm.
