Box Score Score: VCU 6, George Washington 4
Location: Arlington, Va. (Barcroft Park)
Records: VCU 16-11 (1-0 A-10), George Washington (9-9, 0-1)
 
The short story: Freshman third baseman Tyler Locklear and sophomore second baseman Michael Haydak ignited a seventh-inning rally and led a 12-hit VCU attack as the Rams slipped past George Washington in the Atlantic 10 Conference opener for both schools Friday.
 
FIRST PITCH

• Locklear finished his day 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI
• Haydak logged a 3-for-5 day, scored once and drove in a run
• Senior first baseman Steven Carpenter (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) and junior catcher Hunter Vay (2-for-5, RBI) also recorded multi-hit games for the Black and Gold
• VCU relievers Tyler Davis and Evan Chenier combined for five innings and held the Colonials to four hits and one run. Davis improved to a team-best 6-1 this season, while Chenier picked up his third save of the year

THE DIFFERENCE

• VCU trailed 3-1, but opened the seventh inning with three straight hits - a leadoff single by senior centerfielder Hogan Brown, and consecutive doubles by Haydak and Locklear - to pull even at 3-3. Two batters later, junior designated hitter Liam Hibbits drove a go-ahead single to left field. The Rams tacked on a fifth run later on Vay's RBI triple
• The Rams recorded 12 base hits in the game
• VCU pitching allowed just one run after the fourth inning

NOTABLE

• Haydak leads VCU with 11 multi-hit games this season. He has reached base in 10 straight contests
• Locklear raised his A-10 leading RBI total to 34
• Davis' six wins are the most by a VCU freshman since Chenier finished 6-0 in 2019
• VCU has won three straight against GW

NEXT UP
VCU and George Washington will face off in a doubleheader on Saturday, April 10 at Barcroft Park in Arlington. First pitch in game one is scheduled for noon on ESPN+.