Final Score: VCU 5, Longwood 2
Winning Pitcher: Evan Bert (1-1)
Save: Campbell Ellis (1)
Losing Pitcher:  Cole Taylor (0-4)
Location: Richmond, Va. (The Diamond)
Records: VCU 9-11, Longwood 7-16
 
The Short Story:  Behind Evan Bert's five innings of outstanding relief work and his first career win, VCU Baseball took its first-midweek game of the season, knocking off Longwood to win its fourth straight game.
 
LEADING OFF:

• Bert threw 92 pitches, allowing only two earned runs in the best performance of his young collegiate career.
• Campbell Ellis came out of the pen to shut the door and earn his first save of the season, pitching two innings while striking out two.
• Scottie O'Bryan stayed hot at the plate going 2-for-4 including a two-RBI triple in the bottom of the fourth, the first triple of his career.
• Ethan Brooks had a solid day in the batter's box, going 3-for-3, all singles, and batting in a run. It's Brooks's first three-hit game of his career.
• Starting pitcher Jack Goleski lasted two innings, allowing one hit and no runs, and striking out a pair of Lancer hitters.
• VCU has won four games in a row for the first time this season.

• Both teams stayed off the scoreboard during the opening three frames, but Longwood would threaten to force Goleski to battle through. Over the first three frames, Longwood left seven runners on base, including loading the bases in the opening frame with one out. But Goleski got back-to-back pop ups to get out of danger.
• In the fourth inning the Rams would get the scoring started. O'Bryan stepped up to the plate with two runners on and with a 2-2 count, smacked the pitch over the diving right fielder to score a pair of Rams. Using his speed O'Bryan reached third for his first career triple.
• Two at-bats later, Brooks hit a single to left field, scoring O'Bryan from third base, giving VCU a 3-0 lead after four.
• In the bottom of the sixth, Nic Ericsson hit his fourth double of the season into left field replacing O'Bryan at second base (run scored), who had hit a single in the previous at-bat and advanced on a wild pitch to get into scoring position.
• Longwood got two runs back in the top of the seventh to make it 4-2.
• In the bottom of the eighth, the Rams got an insurance run thanks to a lead off walk by Brooks who was brought home on an RBI double by Cooper Benzin.
• Ellis, who had relieved Bert to start the eighth, finished off the save with a 1-2-3 inning in the ninth to wrap up VCU's fourth-straight win and first midweek victory of the season.

UP NEXT: VCU takes a trip to Tampa, Fla. for a three-game series against South Florida beginning on Friday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+.