FINAL: VCU 1 (22-16, 7-5 A10), Saint Joseph's 5 (12-19, 4-7 A10)

LOCATION:  Smithson Field – Philadelphia, Pa.

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

SAINT JOSEPH'S STARTERS: Maul (SS), Boyd (2B), Brue (RF), Stafford (DH), Kancylarz (3B), Coghlin (1B), Jadacki (LF), Lau (C), Pater (CF), Ponto (SP)

THE BASICS: VCU lost its series finale against Saint Joseph's 5-1 on Sunday. Heath Dwyer, Matt Lees, and Thomas Gill provided solid pitching all afternoon, but a lack of offense and a couple of critical fielding miscues didn't bode well for the Rams.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Another day, another game where the Rams jumped out to an early lead. A fielder's choice drove in the run but their ability to generate free bases was the key to the inning; VCU drew three walks and a hit by pitch in its first trip to the plate.
• Saint Joseph's scored similarly in the bottom of the third to tie the game at 1-1.
• Trouble came for the Rams in the bottom of the fifth. After a couple of errors to set up the inning, the Hawks were able to bring in three runs to take a 4-1 lead.
• The Hawks scored again in the bottom of the seventh on a double into the left-center gap. The run not only extended the lead for Saint Joseph's but also snapped Matt Lees' 34-inning streak without allowing an earned run to start the season. The inning ended on the very next pitch when a line drive was caught by Cooper Mickelson, who then threw it to second base for the inning-ending double play.
• Thomas Gill came in and threw a great eighth inning to keep VCU in the game, but it would not be enough and the Rams fell 5-1.

UP NEXT: VCU will play a home-and-home with Maryland this week, with the Rams hosting the Terrapins first on Tuesday at 6:30 before Wednesday's away game at 4 pm.