Final Score: William & Mary 13, VCU 12
Winning Pitcher: Bobby McDonough (1-0)
Losing Pitcher: Brian Curley (1-2)
Saving Pitcher: Carter Lovasz (5)
Location: Williamsburg, Va. (Plumeri Park)
Records: VCU 17-16, William & Mary 22-12
 
The Short Story: VCU Baseball came up one run short in its midweek duel at William & Mary with the Rams scoring two runs in the ninth to compete until the final out at Plumeri Park in a game that was filled with counter punches on both sides.
 
LEADING OFF: 

• VCU scored two runs in the ninth and one in the seventh to battle back late but the Tribe had put together a pair of five-run innings to go with eight runs over the first three frames to get just enough.
• Ram pitching held the Tribe scoreless over the final three innings to allow the Rams to battle back into the game.
• Cam Nuckols was a big part in the comeback effort, going 2.1 innings out of the pen allowing only two hits and striking out two while giving up zero runs.
• Brandon Eike led the day for the VCU bats, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs scored and one double.
• Harrison Long added three hits of his own going 3-for-5.
• AJ Mathis, Will Carlone, Jake Thilges and Nic Ericsson all had two hit nights.
• Thilges, Ericsson and Logan Amiss all smashed home runs in the game.
• VCU got a strong 1.2 innings of work out of the pen from Maison Martinez, with the Ram freshman allowing zero runs and only one hit.

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• The first inning saw a combined six runs scored with both sides getting three in the frame.
• The Rams got it going when Thilges smashed a three-run home run to score Cooper Benzin (FC) and Eike (Walk) to quickly make it 3-0.
• William & Mary strung together three runs on two hits against VCU's starter Evan Bert to tie the game at 3-3.
• Amiss led the second off with a solo shot on an 0-1 count to put the Rams back in front, 4-3 but VCU could not capitalize on a pair of runners in the frame.
• In the second and third innings William & Mary went back ahead, scoring two in the second and three in the third to take an 8-4 lead heading into the fourth.
• Keeping on par with how the game went, VCU quickly had an answer for the Tribe. Scoring five in the fourth to retake the lead.
• All with two outs, the Rams put together four-straight RBI base hits that included RBI singles from Carlone, Eike, Thilges and a two-RBI double from William Bean to cap off the inning and put the Rams in front again 9-8.
• It would be the last time VCU would lead in the game, and in the bottom of the sixth William & Mary scored five runs on five hits to retake the lead for good at 13-9.
• VCU did not go away quietly, scoring three over the final three frames and the attempted comeback began in the seventh when Ericsson took an 0-2 pitch and deposited it over the scoreboard in left field to pull the Rams within three at 13-10.
• In the ninth VCU again showed their toughness and willingness to compete, and again with two outs the Rams kept fighting.
• Carlone singled up the middle to score Boone (PR) and Eike followed that up with a single to center to score Benzin. But the final out came in the next at-bat to end the VCU comeback attempt and give William & Mary a 13-12 win.

UP NEXT: VCU returns to the Diamond for a weekend A-10 visit by George Mason (Apr. 14-16). The weekend series will be broadcast on ESPN+.