Score: VCU 13, Lafayette 3
Location: Winston-Salem, N.C. (David F. Couch Ballpark)
Records: VCU 1-1, Lafayette 0-2
 
The short story: The VCU bats exploded for seven runs in the first inning as the Rams collected a bounce-back win over Lafayette.
 
FIRST PITCH

• Redshirt sophomore third baseman Tyler Locklear stayed hot, going 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs and four RBIs.
• Redshirt junior right fielder Logan Amiss went 3-for-6 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored.
• Redshirt sophomore lefty Jack Masloff earned the first start of his collegiate career, striking out five batters without allowing an earned run.
• Freshman right-hander Chase Hungate earned the win in his collegiate debut, striking out four batters without a walk in three innings of work.
• Redshirt sophomore righty Mason Delane closed out the game with three innings of scoreless relief to earn the first save of his career.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Amiss led off the game by battling through a seven-pitch at-bat to send a double down the left field line, and moved to third when Locklear smoked an infield single at the third baseman. Amiss then came around to score when redshirt junior first baseman Michael Haydak hit a double to center.
• An infield single ripped down the third base line from redshirt sophomore designated hitter Will Carlone scored Locklear from third, then redshirt sophomore catcher Nic Ericsson hit a double to the gap to extend the lead to 3-0.
• After an RBI groundout from sophomore shortstop Connor Hujsak, freshman second baseman Marcus O'Malley hit an RBI single through the right side.
• Redshirt sophomore left fielder Cooper Benzin put the exclamation mark on the big inning by singling home O'Malley, then scoring on Amiss's second double of the frame.
• Lafayette scored an error in the third, but Locklear's two-run homer to left in the fourth restored a 9-1 VCU lead.
• The Leopards scored two more unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth, but Locklear sent an opposite field home run over the fence in right. O'Malley, making his collegiate debut, singled to right to score Haydak later in the inning to push the VCU lead to 12-3.
• Sophomore Devan Barnett capped the VCU scoring with a pinch-hit home run to deep right center in the ninth in his first at-bat of the season.

 
NOTABLE

• Through two games of the 2022 season, Locklear is hitting .714 (5-for-7) with three home runs and eight RBIs. He also extended his hitting streak to 10 games, dating back to last season.
• The Rams did not concede an earned run.

 
UP NEXT
The Rams face tournament host Wake Forest tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. from "The Couch." The game will be streamed on ACC Network Extra.