Score: VCU 10, Xavier 5
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio (Hayden Field)
Winning Pitcher: Brian Curley (4-0)
Losing Pitcher: Nick Boyle (3-1)
Records: VCU 16-8, Xavier 11-13
 
The short story: Five outstanding innings from sophomore Brian Curley coupled with home runs from graduate Ethan Iannuzzi and redshirt senior Cooper Benzin powered VCU Baseball past Xavier to give the Rams the final game of the weekend series.

LEADING OFF

• Curley came into a tie game in the fourth and proceeded to shut down Xavier, striking out four batters, walking just one and giving up zero earned runs
• Benzin's three-run home run in the top of the ninth gave the Rams big breathing room as it was a three-run ball game when he smashed the blast
• Iannuzzi finished his day 2-for-4 with one home run, one double, four RBIs and one run scored
• Freshman Chris McHugh went 2-for-4 to give the Rams a pair of multi-hit days
• Graduate Owen Tappy finished the game, tossing one scoreless frame while striking out one
• Three Xavier batters, Luke Hammond, Aedan Anderson and Grant Stephenson each had two hits on the day, with Anderson knocking in two runs

THE STRETCH

• Xavier scored runs in the first four frames, getting two in the third to eventually get to five runs
• But the Rams had answered, plating their own runs between the second and fifth innings with a big three runs coming in the third
• VCU's scoring began in the second when Iannuzzi led the inning off by taking a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall to tie things up at 1-1
• The Rams loaded the bases in the third, scoring three runs with McHugh getting it started with a single to center that knocked in junior Casey Kleinman (single). Iannuzzi then brought home junior Anderson Fulk with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2 before senior Brandon Eike scored on a wild pitch
• Xavier tied it in the third on a two-run home run that tied it at 4-4
• Iannuzzi once again brought the big stick to the dish, smashing a two-out two-RBI ground rule double that put the Rams back up, 6-4, this time for good
• In the fifth, after Xavier added a run in the fourth, Fulk smacked a double down the right field line that brought home senior William Bean (HBP) and made it 7-5
• Through the next few frames Curley continued to shut down the Xavier offense, keeping it at 7-5 until in the top of the ninth VCU padded its lead
• Bean singled and redshirt senior Nic Ericsson was hit by a pitch to put two Rams on the bases
• Benzin then took the box, and after seeing four pitches the Ram center fielder took the 2-2 pitch to left field, banging it off the netting above the wall for a three-run home run to extend things to 10-5
• Tappy then slammed the door shut on the Xavier offense in the ninth to lock up VCU's series finale victory

NOTABLE

• Iannuzzi's four RBIs was a career-high

NEXT UP
The Rams return to the Diamond on Tues., Mar. 26 when they host William & Mary. First pitch is at 6 p.m. and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.