Final Score: Davidson 13, VCU 5
Winning Pitcher: Ryan Feczko (6-4)
Losing Pitcher: Brendan Erka (1-3)
Location: Davidson, N.C. (Wilson Field)
Records: VCU 22-24 (8-8), Davidson 25-18 (11-4)
 
The Short Story: VCU Baseball battled until the end, scoring four runs late to cut into the lead, but unfortunately Davidson's middle inning scoring would be enough to carry the day over the Rams in the opening game of the weekend's Atlantic 10 matchup.
 
LEADING OFF: 

• Despite scoring first, the Rams were done in by a fourth, fifth and sixth inning that saw Davidson score 11 runs to build a lead they held until the end.
• VCU did cut into the lead with a four-run seventh but the deficit had grown too large for the Rams to overcome.
• AJ Mathis had a strong day leading off, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and one run scored.
• It was Mathis' team-leading 21st multi-hit game of the season and fifth game with three hits.
• Mathis also made several solid plays in the outfield, running down a handful of fly balls.
• Nic Ericsson had a solid day at the dish, going 2-for-3 with one run batted in and one double.
• Cooper Benzin collected a pair of hits for his 17th multi-hit game of the season.
• Brendan Erka tossed 5.2 innings in his first career start, striking out five and he held the Wildcats scoreless over the opening three frames.
• Both Nick Frazier and Cam Nuckols made relief appearances with Nuckols tossing two innings and Frazier tossing just one-third of an inning.

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• Erka opened the game by sitting down the Wildcats in the second and third innings as both sides traded zeros over the first three innings.
• In the fourth the Rams opened the scoring, and it started with a one-out double to left from Benzin.
• After advancing to third, Ericsson smacked a double down the left field line to score Benzin and put the score at 1-0.
• But the Davidson bats got going in the bottom half of the fourth, scoring six runs. The big blow coming off the bat of Jacob Friend who hit a grand slam.
• Davidson added one in the fifth and four in the sixth to build its lead out to 11-1.
• The Rams did show the fight they have showed all season, scoring four in the seventh to cut into the lead.
• Mathis recorded two RBIs on a single to right that scored both Ericsson (walk) and Harrison Long (single) and Eike and Carlone each add an RBI in the frame to cut it to 11-5.
• But two more in the eighth from Davidson ended any VCU chances for a comeback, and when the final out was recorded the Rams had fallen 13-5.

UP NEXT: VCU and Davidson continue their weekend series on Friday with the first pitch set at 3 p.m. and on Saturday both sides wrap up the series with a first pitch of 2 p.m. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.