Score: VCU 11, Princeton 7
Location: Richmond, Va. (The Diamond)
Winning Pitcher: Brian Curley (3-0)
Losing Pitcher: Will Sword (1-1)
Records: VCU 12-5, Princeton 3-10
 
The short story: VCU Baseball used seven runs over the opening two frames coupled with shutdown pitching from sophomore Brian Curley to open its four-game weekend set with Princeton with a win.

LEADING OFF

• The reigning Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week, Curley tossed four scoreless innings, striking out four while giving up just one hit and zero walks
• Redshirt senior Nic Ericsson was the lone Ram with a multi-hit day, going 2-for-3 with one double, two runs scored and one RBI
• Sophomore Aden Hill knocked in a team-high three runs, while drawing two walks
• Junior Anderson Fulk made his VCU debut, going 1-for-1 with a double, but he reached all four times he stepped in the box, getting hit once and drawing three walks
• Sophomore Zachary Peters got the start, going just one inning, where he gave up three runs
• Princeton's Matt Scannell (2-for-4) and Jake Kernodle (2-for-4) led the Tigers at the plate

THE STRETCH

• VCU got two on to start the game thanks to junior Casey Kleinman (HBP) and senior Brandon Eike (BB) and with two outs Ericsson got a run in when he put the ball in play and the shortstop over threw the first basemen that allowed Kleinman to come around
• Hill then scored Ericsson and Eike on a base hit that made it 3-0
• Princeton answered back with three runs in the top of the second to tie it up at 3-3, the closest the Tigers would get to the Rams all game long
• The Rams proceeded to retake the lead with four runs in the bottom of the second, scored by Fulk, redshirt senior Cooper Benzin, Kleinman and Eike. VCU got its runs on walks drawn and a fielding error that allowed Eike to reach. And when the second frame was over the Rams had retaken the lead at 7-3
• Curley, who entered in the second, put up zeros over the next four innings as the Rams continued to build on their lead
• In the fourth, fifth and sixth innings VCU got at least run to extend their lead with the big blow coming off Ericsson's bat when his down the left field line got the scoring started in the fourth to make it 8-3. Ericsson would come around to score after three-straight VCU walks.
• VCU's three innings with at least one run scored was capped off in the sixth when Fulk would come around to score after leading off the inning with a double and when Kleinman knocked him in with a sacrifice fly VCU had built out an 11-3 lead
• Princeton scored three in the seventh and one in the ninth, but it was too little too late as the Rams got the final outs to take home series opening win

NOTABLE

• Over Curley's last three outings (11.2 innings) the Ram sophomore has given up zero earned runs, struck out 18, walked only one and has given up just five hits

NEXT UP
The Rams remain at home with three games left against Princeton. Tomorrow VCU and Princeton will play a doubleheader, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.