Final Score: VCU 9, Davidson 4
Winning Pitcher: James Gladden (5-2)
Losing Pitcher: Isaac Fix (2-2)
Save: Campbell Ellis (3)
Location: Davidson, N.C. (Wilson Field)
Records: VCU 23-24 (9-8), Davidson 25-19 (11-5)
 
The Short Story: Pitching and defense powered VCU Baseball to a huge Atlantic 10 win over Davidson, with Campbell Ellis' four shutout innings putting the Rams in a position to win the series and leave Davidson with a pair of wins.
 
LEADING OFF: 

• Ellis came into the game at the start of the sixth inning and tossed four scoreless frames to earn his third save of the season. Behind Ellis' strong outing, the Rams held off Davidson before adding insurance runs late to put the game away.
• During his strong outing, Ellis struck out three Wildcats and allowed just three hits.
• Will Carlone had a big blow in the game, smashing a two-run home run on his way to his 16th multi-hit game of the season, finishing 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two runs knocked in.
• Logan Amiss went a solid 3-for-5 at the dish, his second three-hit game of the season and his seventh multi-hit game.
• Jake Thilges went 2-for-4, hitting his first career triple while knocking in two runs and drawing a walk.
• James Gladden got the start, and tossed five innings while striking out two batters.
• The middle infield tandem of Ethan Brooks and William Bean turned a pair of big double plays during the game, both coming at key moments in the game.

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• For the second-straight game the Rams scored first, putting two across the plate on Carlone's two-run home run to left.
• The homer scored Bean (single) and it gave VCU a quick 2-0 lead.
• Davidson scored one in the bottom half of the frame on a wild pitch putting it at 2-1.
• Thanks to a double play in the second, Gladden would go on to hold the Wildcats scoreless over the next three frames and in the fourth he sat Davidson down in order.
• In the fifth both teams would make the game interesting, and it started with two runs in the top half from the Rams.
• With two outs on the board, Brandon Eike smacked a double to left center and after Carlone singled there were two runners on for Thilges.
• On the first pitch he saw, Thilges took the pitch deep to right center and out of the box the hustling Thilges made it to third all the way and in the process cleared the bases for two runs.
• With VCU leading 4-1, Davidson had an answer. With two runners on and two outs, Michael Carico smacked a game tying three-run home run to right making it 4-4.
• The game would not remain tied for long, and in the top of the sixth VCU retook the lead when Ericsson (walk) scored on a wild pitch making it 5-4.
• Ellis then took the bump and shut down the Wildcats for the next four innings.
• Over the four-inning stretch, Ellis allowed just eight base runners battling through any Davidson threat to keep the Rams in the lead.
• VCU got the insurance runs they were looking for in the ninth, getting a big two-RBI single from Cooper Benzin to get it started as they would extend their lead to 9-4.
• Davidson loaded the bases with one out in the ninth and after getting the next out, Ellis finished the game by striking out Henry Koehler on three straight pitches to give the Rams the 9-4 win.

UP NEXT: VCU and Davidson wrap up their weekend series with tomorrow's rubber game set for a 2 p.m. first pitch. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.