The Basics

• Score: VCU 5, Rhode Island 3
• Records: VCU (37-22, 18-10 A10), Rhode Island (25-25-1, 15-11 A10)
• Location: Tucker Field at Barcroft Park – Arlington, Va.
• The Short Story: It took a couple of late runs, but VCU won 5-3 on Saturday to take home the 2015 Atlantic 10 baseball crown. 
  
  
  

How It Happened

• As was the case when these teams met yesterday, Rhode Island got on the scoreboard first. An infield single led off the second inning and he came in to score on a single out to right-centerfield.
• VCU responded in the bottom of the fourth one a two out RBI double from Jimmy Kerrigan that bounced off of the wall in centerfield.
• The Rams took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning on a two-out, two-run triple into right field by Darian Carpenter.
• The other Rams would get those two runs back in the top of the seventh. An RBI triple followed by a sacrifice fly did the damage and tied the game up at 3-3. 
• The bottom of the eighth started off with an enormous break in VCU's favor; Brett Hileman's fly ball to left field dropped between two defenders who were battling the late afternoon sun, allowing him to reach second base. James Bunn would then single up the middle to score him and give the Rams a 4-3 lead. Bunn scored on a passed ball not long after to give the Rams an insurance run. 
• The final three outs were without a doubt the most thrilling of the Rams' season thus far. A sinking liner to left field was caught by a diving Bunn, who then doubled off the runner at first. Immediately after that a line drive into left-centerfield was snagged by a diving Logan Farrar in what was absolutely the play of the season for VCU and clinched a conference championship. 
• The cherry on top of the day was Daniel Concepcion notching his 13th save of the season, which sets a new VCU single-season record.

Up Next

• VCU advances to an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2010. The Rams will find out their destination on Monday during the NCAA Selection Show.