Score: VCU 4, No. 10 North Carolina 3 (NCAA Regionals)
Location: Chapel Hill, N.C. (Boshamer Stadium)
Records: VCU 42-18, No. 10 North Carolina 39-20
 
The short story: Sophomore shortstop Connor Hujsak slugged two home runs for the second straight game, and VCU got more stellar pitching to advance to the championship game of the Chapel Hill Regional.
 
FIRST PITCH

• The Rams won their 17th straight game, have won 25 of their last 28 games, and are 39-10 since March 8.
• Hujsak now has four homers in the Regional, totaling six RBIs across the two games.
• Sophomore left-hander Campbell Ellis earned the win on the mound, throwing 4.0 scoreless innings, striking out a pair of Tar Heels, and scattering three walks and four hits.
• Redshirt junior right-hander Evan Chenier threw 2.2 innings of scoreless relief with three strikeouts. Graduate righty Nolan Wilson earned his third save of the season, closing out the final 1.1 frames of the game.
• Redshirt sophomore left fielder Cooper Benzin went 1-for-4 with two RBIs, delivering a big two-run double.
• Redshirt sophomore designated hitter Will Carlone and freshman second baseman Marcus O'Malley each collected a pair of hits, while graduate catcher Jacob Selden drew a pair of walks.
• The Rams outhit North Carolina 9-8, while VCU pitchers stranded 12 Tar Heel runners.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• After a 1-2-3 first inning, Ellis induced a 4-6-3 double play that was aided by runner interference in the second to escape a bases-loaded jam.
• Hujsak opened the scoring with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the second, hammering a 2-0 pitch to left field.
• O'Malley sparked an unorthodox double play in the third, sprinting and diving to get to a ball popped up behind the pitcher's mound. The ball fell without a catch, but quick thinking from O'Malley turned into a 4-6-5 double play with putouts at second and third.
• After Ellis exited with four scoreless frames, Chenier entered from the bullpen and delivered a three-up, three-down fifth. Redshirt junior lefty Jaden Griffin relieved Chenier in the seventh, getting a pop-up to strand two Tar Heels.
• Benzin delivered a huge run-scoring double in the seventh to triple the VCU lead. Redshirt junior center fielder AJ Mathis used his speed to beat out a ground ball that was double clutched by the Tar Heels shortstop and ruled an error, then moved to second on a failed pickoff attempt. Carlone followed with a single to put runners on the corners, then stole second. Benzin lined a ball past the third baseman and down the left field line to score both runners and make it 3-0.
• North Carolina got a run back in the top of the eighth with a leadoff homer, but Wilson got a swinging strikeout to strand a runner and end the threat.
• Hujsak restored VCU's three-run lead in the bottom of the frame, smoking the first pitch of the at-bat to left center, making it 4-1.
• The Tar Heels hit a two-run, two-out homer in the top of the ninth to draw within 4-3. After back-to-back walks, Wilson got a foul out to end the game. 

 
NOTABLE

• Hujsak has 12 home runs this season, tied for the seventh most in a single season in program history. He also has 19 homers for his career, and five in his NCAA Tournament career. Hujsak and redshirt sophomore first baseman Tyler Locklear are tied for the team lead with 18 multi-RBI games apiece. 
• Locklear drew his team-leading 44th walk of the year and extended his reached base streak to 43 games.
• Carlone extended his hitting streak to nine games.

 
UP NEXT
The Rams will play in the Regional title game Sunday, June 5 at 6 p.m. VCU will face the winner of Georgia-North Carolina, and will need just one win to advance to the Super Regionals. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and tickets can be purchased here.