Score: William & Mary 11, VCU 6
Location: Richmond, Va. (The Diamond)
Records: VCU 22-17, William & Mary 18-19
 
The short story: The Tribe used a five-run ninth inning to split the in-state, non-conference season series with the Rams.
 
FIRST PITCH

• VCU drew 10 walks, tied for the second-most in a single game this season. Redshirt sophomore third baseman Ben Nippolt, redshirt sophomore first baseman Tyler Locklear, redshirt sophomore left fielder Cooper Benzin, and redshirt junior designated hitter AJ Mathis all drew two walks apiece.
• Locklear went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs and an RBI.
• Sophomore shortstop Connor Hujsak drove in two runs while also collecting a double and scoring a run.
• Redshirt sophomore right-hander Mason Delane threw three scoreless innings of relief, striking out three batters.
• William & Mary's Carter Lovasz earned the win on the mound, throwing the final 3.0 innings of the game and surrendering one run. Joe Delossantos led the Tribe offense with a 3-for-4 night and two runs scored.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• After Locklear walked and redshirt junior right fielder Logan Amiss was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the first, Hujsak laced an RBI double to right center to open the scoring. Benzin walked to load the bases, then Amiss scored when Tribe pitcher Jack Cone balked, doubling the lead to 2-0.
• The Tribe responded with three runs in the top of the second to take the lead, scoring on an RBI double, a sacrifice fly, and a wild pitch.
• VCU tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the frame when Nippolt worked a two-out walk, then scored from first on a Locklear double that dropped in down the right field line.
• The Rams took the lead back in the bottom of the third with a Benzin sac fly, scoring Hujsak who had hustled to third on a dropped fly ball in right.
• William & Mary swung the lead back in its favor with three runs in the top of the fourth, making it 6-4 on a pair of RBI singles and a sac fly.
• After Delane delivered a shutdown inning with a pair of strikeouts in the top of the fifth, the Rams scratched a run back in the bottom of the frame. Benzin and Mathis both walked, then each moved up a base on a wild pitch, and freshman center fielder Jesse Robinson cut the Tribe lead to 6-5 with a sac fly to left.
• Delane and redshirt senior righty Edwin Serrano posted four straight scoreless innings from the fifth through the eighth.
• VCU tied the game in the bottom of the eighth. Locklear drew a one-out walk, then moved to third on a single to the gap from Amiss. Hujsak then reached on a fielder's choice that scored Locklear and knotted the game at 6-6.
• The Tribe strung together four hits and two walks, and capitalized on a VCU throwing error to score five runs in the top of the ninth and take an 11-6 lead.

 
NOTABLE

• Locklear tied Amiss with a team-best 14 multi-hit games, while Hujsak tied Locklear for a team-best nine multi-RBI games.
• Locklear (22), Nippolt (10), Hujsak (9), and Amiss (9) all extended their respective reached base streaks.
• Locklear leads the Rams with 42 runs, 47 hits, 15 doubles, 36 RBIs, and 27 walks.
• VCU beat William & Mary 4-2 on March 29 in Williamsburg, Va.

 
UP NEXT
The Rams travel to Dayton, Ohio for a three-game Atlantic 10 series against Dayton from April 29-May 1. VCU beat the Flyers in the clinching game of the 2021 A-10 Championship.