Score: VCU 6, Xavier 7
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio (Hayden Field)
Winning Pitcher: Luke Hoskins (3-3)
Losing Pitcher: Everett Vaughan (0-1)
Save: Alex Vera (2)
Records: VCU 15-7, Xavier 10-12
 
The short story: A three-run home run from junior Anderson Fulk in the ninth inning brought VCU Baseball within one run, but despite the Fulk bomb VCU could not find the seventh run needed to tie Xavier, losing a slugfest in the weekend's opening game.

LEADING OFF

• The game had a total of eight home runs hit between the two sides, with the Rams smashing three and Xavier hitting four
• Redshirt senior Nic Ericsson hit his third home run of the season, finishing the day 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs and one run scored
• Sophomore Aden Hill hit his second home run of the season, going 2-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored
• Fulk's home run, the first of his career, knocked in three runs giving him three RBIs on the day and one run scored
• Freshman Chris McHugh went 2-for-4 to give the Rams three hitters who had multi-hit days
• VCU pitching struck out five Xaiver batters, with starter junior Everett Vaughan leading the way with three strikeouts
• Xavier's Matt McCormick did the most damage on the day, hitting two home runs, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored

THE STRETCH

• Xavier got three runs in the first on a solo home run and a two-run home run to open an early 3-0 lead
• VCU answered right back in the top of the second when Hill took a 3-1 pitch and smacked it off the building in right field to get the Rams on the board
• The Musketeers added a run in the third on another home run to make it 4-1 and in the fourth another Xavier solo shot made it 5-1
• VCU began its comeback in the fifth when redshirt senior Cooper Benzin led the frame off with a single through the left side. That brought Ericsson to the dish
• After taking the first pitch, Ericsson saw what he wanted and crushed a two-run home run to left to get the Rams within two runs at 5-3
• Things remained 5-3 until the seventh when another Xavier home run made it 6-3 and in the eighth Xavier added one more with an RBI base hit to make it 7-3
• Not looking to go down quietly, VCU came into the ninth with a no quit mindset
• Hill led the frame off with a single to third and senior William Bean drew a walk to put two Rams on the pads
• Next up would be Fulk and he would battle to a full count, before getting his pitch. With one swing the Ram designated hitter put a three-run home run on top of the building in right to get VCU within one run and no outs
• Unfortunately, the Rams could not take advantage of the situation, going down in order over the next three baters to fall just one run short of the comeback  

NOTABLE

• VCU's three home runs are the second-most hit in a single game this season

NEXT UP
VCU remains at Xavier with a chance to still take the series. Saturday's game is set for 3 p.m., while Sunday's weekend finale is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch.