Final Score:Â Richmond 16, VCU 10
Winning Pitcher:Â Esteban Rodriguez (3-2)
Losing Pitcher:Â
Campbell Ellis (5-5)
Location:Â Richmond, Va. (The Diamond)
Records:Â VCU 23-27 (9-10 Atlantic 10), Richmond 22-24 (11-7 Atlantic 10)
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The Short Story:Â VCU led 9-4 after four innings, but the Black and Gold could not hold the lead in a back-and-forth slugfest, dropping the first game of three-game Atlantic 10 set against inner-city rival Richmond.Â
LEADING OFF:
- Brandon Eike left the Diamond twice with a three-run home run in the first inning, followed by a two-run shot in the fourth.
- Eike went 4-of-5 from the plate with five RBIs to buoy the Rams' offensive effort.
- A.J. Mathis batted 2-of-5 at the dish with two RBIs, including a round-tripper in the fourth inning.
- William Bean, Jake Thilges, and Griffin Boone all had multi-hit games as well for the Black and Gold, each going 2-of-4 on the night.
- In total, the Rams belted seven extra-base hits, two of which were triples, tying their single game-high for triples this season.
- James Gladden went six innings as the Rams' starting pitcher, striking out four Spider batters on 97 pitches.
HOW IT HAPPENED:Â
- Richmond struck first with one run in the top of the first, but VCU countered in a hurry with four runs in the bottom half of the frame, three of which came on a home-run to right center by Eike.
- Three batters later, Cooper Benzin flew out to right field for a sacrifice fly, bringing home Jake Thilges to make the score 4-1.
- The visiting Spiders got within one at 5-4 after three innings.
- However, the Rams bounced back with four runs in the bottom of the fourth.
- Mathis hammered a two-run home run one to right field.
- Two batters later, Eike belted a two-run blast of his own to dead center, extending VCU's lead to 9-4 after four innings.
- The momentum swung Richmond's way in the late innings, as the Spiders bit the Rams with a seven-run seventh inning followed by three more runs in the eighth to get the game to its final score of 16-10.
UP NEXT:Â VCU and Richmond resume their rivalry series at the Diamond on Saturday, May 13, with first pitch scheduled for 11:30 a.m. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.Â