Score: VCU 20, James Madison 18 (10 innings)
Location: Harrisonburg, Va. (Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park)
Records: VCU 33-14, James Madison 11-16
 
The short story: VCU hit a pair of grand slams in a 10-inning slugfest that was won by a Connor Hujsak two-run single in the top of the 10th.
 
FIRST PITCH

• Freshman third baseman Tyler Locklear went 3-for-6 with a walk, a double, and a grand slam for three runs and a career-high six RBIs. The grand slam, which put the Rams ahead 18-16 in the top of the ninth, was his Atlantic 10-leading 16th homer of the season, the second-most in a single season in VCU history.
• Junior catcher Hunter Vay also set a career high with six RBIs, going 2-for-6 with a walk, three runs, and a first-inning grand slam.
• Every member of the Rams' starting lineup scored at least one run, with Locklear, Vay, Jack Schroeder, and Logan Amiss scoring three apiece.
• Amiss and junior first baseman Liam Hibbits each turned in 3-for-5 performances.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Rams put up crooked numbers in each of the first four innings to take a 12-4 lead out of the gates.
• After senior Steven Carpenter and Locklear led off the game with back-to-back hit-by-pitches, Hibbits sent a single to the opposite field to plate the first run of the game. Schroeder walked to load the bases behind Hibbits, setting the stage for Vay to go the other way, lifting a grand slam over the fence in left field.
• After JMU responded with four runs in the first, Vay pushed his RBI total to six with a two-run single to right in the second inning. Amiss dropped a double down the left field line to score Vay and extend the lead to 8-4.
• In the third, Brandon Henson launched an RBI triple to deep center, then came around to score when Hibbits smoked a doubled a double down the right field line, pushing the VCU advantage to 10-4.
• Locklear first came to bat with the bases loaded in the fourth, and was denied even more RBIs when his ground-rule double bounced over the fence in right center, making it 12-4.
• Aided by VCU throwing errors in the seventh, JMU scored 10 straight runs across four innings to take a 14-12 lead after seven frames.
• Sacrifice flies from Carpenter and Henson in the top of the eighth evened the score at 14-14, but the Dukes quickly restored their two-run lead at 16-14 with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
• Down to their last out, the Rams put together a rally in the top of the ninth. Hogan Brown singled up the middle, advancing Amiss, who had been hit by a pitch, to third. After Brown stole second, Carpenter walked to load the bases for Locklear, who blasted a go-ahead grand slam to right center, giving VCU its first lead since the fourth.
• JMU scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth to knot the game at 18-18, but the Rams turned a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning and send the game to extras.
• An infield single by Amiss loaded the bases in the top of the 10th after Schroeder had reached on an error and Vay had walked. Hujsak worked a full count and sent a two-run single to right field that gave VCU a 20-18 lead for good.
• Freshman lefty Tyler Davis earned his team-high ninth win of the season, throwing a scoreless 10th with a pair of strikeouts.

 
NOTABLE

• VCU extended its win streak to 17 straight games, the longest active streak in Division I, and tied for the second-longest in program history.
• The Rams' 20 runs are a season high, topping the 19 scored at Saint Louis on May 7.
• VCU was hit by five pitches, including two drawn by Brown. The Rams entered the series ranked fifth in Division I with 84 hit-by-pitches.

 
UP NEXT
VCU plays a second game against James Madison to close out the regular season Friday, May 21 at 6 p.m. from Harrisonburg, Va.