Score: No. 2 VCU 14, No. 1 Davidson 6 (Atlantic 10 Championship Semifinals)
Location: Davidson, N.C. (Wilson Field)
Records: VCU 39-18, Davidson 43-12
 
The short story: The Rams hit three home runs to collect their 14th straight win, advancing to Saturday's A-10 Championship final.
 
FIRST PITCH

• In addition to the 14-game win streak, VCU has won 22 of its last 25 contests, and is 36-10 since March 8.
• Every Ram batter recorded a hit, with VCU outhitting Davidson 14-12. VCU has also hit three homers in back-to-back games.
• VCU scored in each of the last six innings, with multiple runs in four of those frames.
• Rams pitchers stranded 13 Davidson runners, while VCU left just six runners on base. VCU arms doubled the Wildcats' strikeout total, 10-5.
• Redshirt sophomore designated hitter Will Carlone set a career high with five RBIs, going 3-for-5 with his sixth home run of the season.
• Redshirt sophomore first baseman Tyler Locklear reached base in every plate appearance, going 3-for-3 with a homer, a walk, a hit-by-pitch, three runs, and three RBIs.
• Redshirt junior right-hander Evan Chenier earned his second win of the year, throwing 2.2 scoreless innings of relief with a pair of strikeouts.
• Redshirt sophomore third baseman Ben Nippolt and redshirt junior center fielder AJ Mathis each scored three runs, while graduate catcher Jacob Selden notched three RBIs with his third homer of the year.
• Davidson's Blake Hely, the A-10 Pitcher of the Year, took the loss for the Wildcats after conceding 10 runs in 6.0 innings.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Wildcats worked a pair of walks in the top of the first, but sophomore lefty Tyler Davis, pitching for the first time since April 29, got out of the jam with two strikeouts.
• Davis got through 2.2 scoreless innings on four strikeouts, then Chenier entered and got a soft lineout to short to strand runners on the corners in the third.
• Locklear opened the scoring in the bottom of the third in explosive fashion, crushing a three-run homer to left center, scoring freshman second baseman Marcus O'Malley, who had singled, and Nippolt, who had walked.
• Selden sent a first-pitch solo home run over the fence in right center in the bottom of the fourth, stretching the VCU lead to 4-0.
• The Rams extended the lead further in the fifth with another crooked number on the scoreboard. Locklear led off the frame with a four-pitch walk, followed by back-to-back singles from sophomore shortstop Connor Hujsak and Mathis. Carlone went to the opposite field to deposit a two-run single down the right field line, then Selden scored Mathis on an RBI fielder's choice to make it 7-0.
• VCU tacked on another run in the sixth. Nippolt singled down the left field line, went first-to-third on Locklear's single, and scored on a sacrifice fly from redshirt junior right fielder Logan Amiss to push the Rams advantage to 8-0.
• A pair of Davidson home runs in the top of the seventh cut the lead to 8-3.
• After Mathis drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the seventh, Carlone hit a moonshot to straightaway center to make it 10-3 in favor of the Black and Gold.
• The Wildcats pulled a pair of runs back in the top of the eighth with two RBI singles, cutting the lead to 10-5.
• VCU responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame. Nippolt scored on a Hujsak fielder's choice with aggressive base running from third to beat the errant throw. The Rams then tacked on run-scoring singles from Mathis and Carlone, and an RBI groundout from Selden.

 
LOCKLEAR RECORD WATCH

• Locklear has 18 home runs this year, second most in program history for a single season, and one off the record holder (Jason Dubois hit 19 in 2000).
• His 35 career homers also rank second in VCU history, two behind Dubois's record of 37.
• His 71 runs this year are the second most in a single season in program history.
• His 74 RBIs are tied for second all-time in a single season with Dubois's 2000 campaign, and two away from Joe Van Meter's record of 76 from the 2010 Colonial Athletic Association title season.

 
NOTABLE

• In addition to climbing the record books, Locklear also leads the Rams with 82 hits, 40 walks, 22 hit-by-pitches, 25 multi-hit games, and 18 multi-RBI games. He's on a seven-game hitting streak, and has reached base in 40 straight contests.
• Hujsak stole his team-best 17th base of the season.

 
UP NEXT
VCU will play the winner of Friday night's Davidson-Richmond elimination game Saturday, May 28 at noon. VCU has to win just one game to claim the conference title, while its opponent will have to win back-to-back games against the Rams. The game(s) will be streamed on ESPN+ and admission is free.