Score:Â VCU 15, Saint Joseph's 4
Location:Â Richmond, Va. (The Diamond)
Records:Â VCU (35-14), Saint Joseph's (21-18)
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The short story:Â The Rams' bats exploded early, and VCU capitalized on several Hawks errors to take the opening game of the 2021 Atlantic 10 Baseball Championship and advance to the winner's bracket.
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FIRST PITCH
- Junior catcher Hunter Vay led VCU with a 4-for-5 performance that included a double and a home run to total four RBIs.
- Junior outfielder Jack Schroeder went 3-for-5, scoring three runs and compiling four RBIs.
- Senior first baseman Steven Carpenter and junior designated hitter Liam Hibbits each scored three runs, with Carpenter hitting two doubles and drawing three walks.
- Freshman shortstop Connor Hujsak went 3-for-6 with a double, a run, and two RBIs.
- The VCU bullpen pitched four scoreless innings with eight combined strikeouts to close out the game.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Rams were nearly retired in the first, but senior left fielder Brandon Henson hustled to first on a dropped third strike to extend the inning. In the next at-bat, Schroeder opened the scoring with an RBI single up the middle.
- Vay followed Schroeder with a towering three-run homer to center field to push the VCU lead to 4-0.
- The Rams doubled their lead with four more runs in the second. With the bases loaded, Schroeder hit a single to left, then advanced to third on a fielding error to score three. Vay brought Schroeder home on an RBI groundout in the next at-bat to make it 8-0.
- After the Hawks responded with four runs in the top of the third, VCU scored seven runs across four innings to pull away for good.
- Freshman right-hander Mason Delane improved to 3-0 on the year after striking out two batters and surrendering four runs in five innings of work in his nation-leading 16th start of the season.
- Freshman reliever Tyler Davis slammed the door closed with three innings of scoreless relief, striking out six and scattering three hits.
- Freshman lefty Jack Masloff got the ball in the ninth, retiring the Hawks in order with a pair of strikeouts to close the game.
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NOTABLE
- With its 19th consecutive win, VCU set a program record for longest winning streak. That is also the longest active winning streak in the country.
- VCU's 16 hits were one shy of the team's season high.
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UP NEXT
The Rams advance to the winner's bracket of the A-10 Baseball Championship, facing the winner of Dayton-Rhode Island on Friday, May 28 at noon from The Diamond.
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