Score: VCU 9, Western Michigan 7 (11)
Location: Greenville, S.C. (Fluor Field)
Winning Pitcher: Owen Tappy (2-1)
Losing Pitcher: Hayden Berg (1-2)
Records: VCU 9-4, Western Michigan 7-6
 
The short story: William Bean's go-ahead 2-run RBI single in the top of the 11th pushed VCU Baseball past Western Michigan in an exciting opening game at the First Pitch Invitational.

LEADING OFF

• Freshman Chris McHugh had a career-game, going 3-for-6 hitting his first career home run, knocking in two runs and scoring three of his own
• Sophomore Maison Martinez was again lights out, throwing 4.0 scoreless innings, while striking out two and only allowing two hits
• Senior Brandon Eike went 3-for-6 to join McHugh with three hits on the day, smacking a pair of doubles while scoring one run and knocking in another
• Graduate Ethan Iannuzzi smacked a pair of his own doubles, going 2-for-6 with two runs scored and one RBI
• Sophomore Aden Hill added his own two doubles to the mix, knocking in two runs and scoring one run of his own
• Graduate Owen Tappy recorded his second win of the season, battling through 2.2 innings with just three hits given up
• Three Western Michigan batters had multi-hit days, with Jackson Kitchen (2-for-5), Michael Maloney (2-for-4) and CJ Richmond (2-for-5) leading the way for the Broncos

THE STRETCH

• Western Michigan opened the scoring in the third, but the lead would be short lived. In the top of the fourth McHugh took the first pitch he saw deep to left center to tie the score at 1-1
• In the sixth VCU got three runs, powered by a leadoff double by Eike and an RBI single to right by McHugh to get things started
• Iannuzzi brought home McHugh on a double to left and Hill followed up Iannuzzi with an RBI double of his own to score Iannuzzi and give the Rams a 4-1 lead
• VCU added to its lead in the eighth behind an RBI double by Hill, an RBI by senior Nic Ericsson and an RBI single up the middle by Eike
• The Rams held a 7-1 lead heading into the ninth, but six runs scored by the Broncos meant that the game was tied at 7-7 after nine frames and extras would be needed to decide the matchup
• In the 11th, the Rams would find a way. McHugh singled to short and redshirt junior Griffin Boone singled to left to put two Rams on the paths
• With two outs, Bean stepped into the box. Facing an 0-1 count, the Ram senior shortstop dug in and smashed a single through the right side that brought home both McHugh and Boone and it gave the Rams a 9-7 lead
• Tappy then finished things off, allowing just one base runner in the bottom half of the 11th to lock up his second win of the season and VCU's first on the day

NOTABLE

• VCU hit the most doubles in a game since May 10, 2022
• Hill's two doubles was a career-high
• Martinez has now thrown 16.0 scoreless frames this season and he sits as one of five pitchers in the nation with a 0.00 ERA and at least 15 innings thrown this season
• VCU turned two double plays, making it the second-straight game the Rams have turned two in a game and the third time this season the Rams have turned at least two in a game