Score: VCU 8, Michigan State 4
Location: Greenville, S.C. (Fluor Field)
Winning Pitcher: Christian Gordon (2-0)
Losing Pitcher: Noah Matheny (0-2)
Records: VCU 11-4, Michigan State 4
 
The short story: Two home runs from senior Brandon Eike, which helped VCU Baseball score seven runs over three frames, powered the Rams past Michigan State for their seventh-straight victory and fourth win over a Power Five team this season.

LEADING OFF

• Eike went 3-for-4, with one double, two home runs and three RBIs
• The Rams smashed four home runs in the game, the most they have hit in a game this season
• Graduate Ethan Iannuzzi went 2-for-5 with one home run, one double and two RBIs to go along with a stolen base
• Senior Christian Gordon got the win, going 4.0 innings, striking out seven batters (a career-high) while giving up just two earned runs
• Sophomore Aden Hill went 2-for-4 with one run scored and one stolen base while redshirt senior Nic Ericsson blasted a home run, going 2-for-4 with one double
• Michigan State's Dillon Kark and Landen Lozier each had three hits to lead the Spartans

THE STRETCH

• Michigan State opened the scoring in the second inning, scoring a pair of runs to take an early 2-0 lead
• In the fourth the Rams got on the board and tied things up. Hill smacked a one out single to left which brought senior William Bean to the plate. On a full count, Bean smacked one past the second basemen into right field. The ball rolled to the wall and as Bean dug for third the relay throw short hopped the third baseman. Allowing for Bean to get up and scurry home for a two-run Little League inside the park home run
• In the next frame the Rams took the lead, with freshman Chris McHugh's single to second base leading it off. Iannuzzi then stepped into the box and on the first pitch he saw, smashed one over the left field wall for a two-run go-ahead home run
• Ericsson got the scoring started in the sixth with a one-out home run that extended VCU's lead to 5-2. Junior Casey Kleinman then hit a single to center that brought Eike up with a chance to do damage. Not wasting time, Eike took the first pitch he saw to right center to bring home Kleinman and give VCU breathing room at 7-2
• Things remained 7-2 until the eighth when Eike hit his second of the game when he took a two-out 1-1 pitch off the scoreboard in right field to make it 8-2
• Michigan State would add two in the eighth, but it was too little too late as graduate Owen Tappy wrapped up the final 1.2 innings to lock up VCU's perfect weekend at Fluor Field.

NOTABLE

• The Rams have now won seven-straight games, their longest winning streak since 2022
• VCU now has four wins over Power Five teams this year, beating then-ranked No. 13 NC State, Maryland, Boston College and Michigan State
• It is VCU's most wins against Power Five teams since 2018, when the Rams twice beat West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland
• Over the weekend, Eike slashed .500/.533/1.214 with two home runs, five RBIs and four runs scored
• The Rams hit three or more home runs in a game and had at least two home runs in the same inning for the first time since last season

NEXT UP
VCU remains on the road with a midweek trip to Longwood on Tues., Mar. 12. That game is set to get started at 4 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.