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Virginia Commonwealth University

#LetsGoVCU
BSBBooneActionURI23_1
5
VCU VCU 25-28, 11-11 A-10
8
Winner Rhode Island URI 21-27, 11-11 A-10
VCU VCU
25-28, 11-11 A-10
5
Final
8
Rhode Island URI
21-27, 11-11 A-10
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
VCU VCU 2 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 5 8 0
Rhode Island URI 0 0 5 3 0 0 0 0 X 8 8 1

W: Sean Sposato (4-6) L: Gladden, James (5-3) S: Jeremy Urena (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

VCU DROPS TOUGH GAME AT RHODE ISLAND

Final Score: Rhode Island 8, VCU 5
Winning Pitcher: Sean Sposato (4-6)
Losing Pitcher: James Gladden (5-3)
Save: Jeremy Urena (1)
Location: Kingston, R.I. (Bill Beck Field)
Records: VCU 25-28 (11-11), Rhode Island 21-27 (11-11)
 
The Short Story: Despite taking the lead early, VCU Baseball dropped a tough game at Rhode Island to fall to .500 in Atlantic 10 play, as Rhode Island scored eight runs in the third and fourth innings to catch and pass the Rams.
 
LEADING OFF: 
  • The Rams scored early, taking a 2-0 lead after the first inning, but a stretch from the fifth to the ninth where VCU scored just one run hurt the Rams' chances at coming back after Rhode Island had taken the lead in the third.
  • Brandon Eike had a strong day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with one home run, one double, two runs scored and one walk.
  • It was Eike's 21st multi-hit game of the season and his seventh three-hit game.
  • Eike's home run was his 11th of the season and he now sits just one home run away from cracking VCU's all-time top 10 list for home runs hit in a single season.
  • Nic Ericsson had his seventh multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-4 with one run batted in.
  • The Rams got solid relief pitching from Brendan Erka and Maison Martinez, with the two going a combined 4.1 of scoreless ball.
  • Erka tossed 3.1 innings, giving up just one hit while striking out three
  • Martinez tossed one scoreless frame, striking out one in the inning.
HOW IT HAPPENED: 
  • VCU got the scoring started in the opening frame, scoring two runs to jump out to a 2-0 lead.
  • With Eike and William Bean on the corners, Jake Thilges singled through the right side to score Bean and advance Eike to third.
  • Thilges then stole second, and in the process of him taking second Eike shuffled down the line to swipe home and give VCU its second run of the inning.
  • The Rams' lead did not last past the second inning as in the third and fourth frames Rhode Island scored the eight runs they would need to win the game.
  • After scoring two runs, Rhode Island got the big blow off the bat of Mark Coley, who hit a three-run home run to push Rhode Island ahead 5-3.
  • VCU did get two back in the fourth on an RBI double from Logan Amiss and an RBI single up the middle from Ericsson, making it 5-4.
  • But in the bottom half of the fourth, Rhode Island scored three most to pull away and make it 8-4.
  • In the seventh, with the score still at 8-4, Eike scored the last run of the game.
  • With two outs, Eike took the first pitch he saw and smashed it off the foul pole in right to make it 8-5.
  • But over the next two innings, VCU could not get the three runs needed to extend the game and fell in the opening game of the weekend.
CLINCHING THE TOURNAMENT: In order for VCU to clinch a spot in the Atlantic 10 tournament, the Rams have to win both games of Friday's doubleheader. Winning both games would put VCU in the tournament and give them a crack at an A-10 Conference tournament three-peat.

UP NEXT: VCU and Rhode Island will conclude their series with a doubleheader, due to the threat of weather on Saturday. The first pitch will be at 11:30 a.m. and the second game will get started 50 minutes after the first.
 
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