Score: VCU 2, #17 North Carolina 8
Location: Chapel Hill, N.C. (Boshamer Stadium)
Winning Pitcher: Jason Decaro (1-0)
Losing Pitcher: Zachary Peters (1-2)
Records: VCU 4-4, #17 North Carolina 6-2
 
The short story: Four first inning runs by No. 17 North Carolina put VCU Baseball in a hole they could not dig out of in the Rams' midweek loss in Chapel Hill, N.C.
 
LEADING OFF

• Nick Cosentino came out of the pen to finish things off with 3.1 innings of one-run ball, striking out four to give the Rams a strong finish on the mound
• Chris McHugh and Eli Weisner each had a double in the game for the Rams
• North Carolina's Jason Decaro threw six innings to lead the Tar Heels, while Luke Stevenson went 3-for-3 with one triple and one RBI to power North Carolina at the plate

THE STRETCH

• North Carolina opened the scoring with four runs in the first frame, scoring four runs on one play that unfortunately saw a pair of VCU errors lead to all four runs
• The Rams were held hitless until the sixth, when Cooper Benzin broke up the no-hitter with a single to left
• In that sixth inning, VCU got its first run when Aden Hill smacked an RBI single to center
• The Rams' second run came on a McHugh double to center in the eighth that scored Hill
• Despite solid pitching from Cosentino over the final three-plus innings, VCU's bats could not get going over that stretch, coming up short in any come back attempts to lose 8-2

NOTABLE

• In three appearances in the Black and Gold this season, Cosentino has tossed 7.1 innings, giving up just two runs and striking out seven
• VCU turned a season-high three double plays in the game

NEXT UP
VCU returns to the Diamond tomorrow, Feb. 28, for a 1 p.m. meeting against Maryland. The game, originally scheduled for 3 p.m., will be broadcast on ESPN+.