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Virginia Commonwealth University

#LetsGoVCU
EikeAction_WVU
8
Winner West Virginia WVU 5-3
5
VCU VCU 2-7
Winner
West Virginia WVU
5-3
8
Final
5
VCU VCU
2-7
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
West Virginia WVU 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 2 8 9 2
VCU VCU 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 7 1

W: Traxel, Blaine (2-1) L: Ellis, Campbell (0-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

BASEBALL DROPS GAME TO WEST VIRGINIA

Final Score: West Virginia 8, VCU 5
Winning Pitcher: Blaine Traxel (2-1)
Losing Pitcher: Campbell Ellis (0-2)
Location: Richmond, Va. (The Diamond)
Records: VCU 2-7, West Virginia 5-3
 
The Short Story: A late home run by West Virginia ended a late VCU Baseball comeback attempt, as five strong innings of relief from Justin Humenay coupled with a pair of base hits from VCU's leadoff hitter AJ Mathis was not enough for the Rams to pull out the win.
 
LEADING OFF: 
  • Humenay tossed five innings of relief for the Rams, striking out three while allowing only two runs on three hits.
  • Will Carlone hit the first home at The Diamond in the 2023 season and extended his hitting streak to 20 games.
  • Carlone also extended his base-reaching streak to 25 games.
  • Mathis scored a run to go along with his 2-for-5 day in the lead-off spot.
  • Brandon Eike had a solid day at the plate going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
  • Campbell Ellis got the start, going four innings, the longest outing of the 2023 season.
HOW IT HAPPENED: 
  • Ellis came out of the gate firing, holding West Virginia scoreless over the opening two frames. Allowing just one base runner in both innings.
  • The Rams got the scoring started, putting five on the board over the first three innings.
  • It started in the first with a Mathis leadoff single, followed by a Cooper Benzin double to right field to put a pair of VCU runners in scoring position.
  • Mathis scored the opening run on a fielding error by the third basemen, bringing Eike to the dish.
  • Looking at a 2-2 count, Eike smashed a double down the left field line to score Benzin and after Logan Amiss knocked in Carlone the Rams held an early 3-0 lead.
  • In the bottom half of the second, Ethan Brooks, who reached on a walk, was knocked in by William Bean who recorded a sacrifice fly to center field.
  • West Virginia closed the gap in the third with three runs to get on the board, but VCU still held a 4-3 lead heading into the bottom of the third.
  • Carlone led off the bottom of the third and he did not waste any time adding to the VCU lead.
  • After battling to a 2-2 count, the Ram designated hitter smashed a breaking ball to left center to put the Rams up 5-3.
  • Humenay entered the game in the fifth and held WVU scoreless, but the Mountaineers took the lead in the fourth on a two-out three-run home run putting the score at 6-5.
  • It would remain 6-5 over the next four-plus innings as both Humenay and the WVU starter (Blaine Traxel) traded outs in an old-fashioned dual.
  • But in the top of the ninth, the Mountaineers added two runs on a two-run home run and it put WVU for good, and with the final out in the bottom of the ninth West Virginia won 8-5.
UP NEXT: VCU remains at the Diamond on Sunday, Mar. 5 for a pair of seven-inning games against Fairfield with the first pitch of the Sunday doubleheader set for 11 a.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
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