Score: VCU 17, Quinnipiac 6
Location: Richmond, Va. (The Diamond)
Records: VCU 10-8, Quinnipiac 4-11
 
The short story: The Rams won their seventh straight game to complete the weekend sweep of the Bobcats behind a big eight-run second inning. 
 
FIRST PITCH

• The two teams were even with nine hits apiece, but VCU put together good at-bats and took advantage of 11 walks, five hit-by-pitches, and four Quinnipiac errors.
• Redshirt junior right fielder Logan Amiss went 2-for-4 with a grand slam.
• Redshirt sophomore infielder Ben Nippolt went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
• Redshirt sophomore third baseman Tyler Locklear drew a pair of hit-by-pitches and scored three runs.
• Sophomores Will Carlone, Devan Barnett, and Cooper Benzin each collected a pair of RBIs.
• Redshirt sophomore right-hander Mason Delane started for the Rams and tossed 4.0 innings, striking out three batters and surrendering just one run on two hits.
• Redshirt sophomore lefty Jack Masloff earned the win with two innings of relief after Delane exited, striking out four.
• Freshman Nick Frazier and graduate Nolan Wilson each threw a scoreless inning of relief.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Quinnipiac's Keegan O'Connor opened the scoring with a solo homer in the top of the second, but VCU scored eight in the bottom of the frame to take a commanding lead.
• After sophomore shortstop Connor Hujsak and Carlone both walked, and Hujsak stole third, Benzin laid down a sacrifice bunt that scored Hujsak, and reached base when the ball was misplayed by the Quinnipiac pitcher.
• Redshirt sophomore catcher Nic Ericsson walked to load the bases, then a Nippolt RBI hit-by-pitch and an RBI walk from redshirt sophomore center fielder Scottie O'Bryan pushed VCU in front, 3-1.
• After Ericsson was thrown out at home attempting to score on a wild pitch, redshirt junior first baseman Michael Haydak walked to reload the bases, and Locklear was hit by a pitch to make it 4-1.
• Amiss capped off the big inning by sending a grand slam to the deepest part of the park in straightaway center, pushing the VCU lead to 8-1.
• Hujsak's RBI fielder's choice in the fourth scored Locklear and made the score 9-1.
• Quinnipiac pulled two runs back in the top of the sixth, but VCU answered with five in the bottom of the frame.
• O'Bryan was hit by a pitch to lead off the sixth, then stole both second and third, and scored on Haydak's RBI groundout. Carlone and Benzin hit back-to-back run-scoring doubles, and freshman catcher Casey Gibbs hit an RBI single to make it 14-2.
• Sophomore infielder Griffin Boone led off the seventh with a single through the left side, then came around to score when Benzin reached on a strikeout-passed ball, and the Bobcats catcher committed a throwing error.
• Barnett capped off the VCU scoring with a two-run single in the eighth.

 
NOTABLE

• The Rams improved to 8-3 at The Diamond.
• Boone's seventh-inning single was the first hit of his career.
• Nippolt's two hits were his first as a Ram.
• Amiss, who hit his first career grand slam, has reached base safely in every game this season. That was the fifth homer of his career.

 
UP NEXT
VCU wraps up an eight-game home stand Tuesday, March 22 when it hosts Longwood at 6:30 p.m. from The Diamond. The Rams beat the Lancers 8-3 in Farmville, Va., on Feb. 22. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and tickets can be purchased here.