Score: VCU 9, George Mason 8
Location: Fairfax, Va. (Spuhler Field)
Records: VCU 27-16 (9-5 Atlantic 10), George Mason 18-23 (6-9)
 
The short story: Senior shortstop William Bean drove in three runs, including a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth, to help VCU rally back from a four-run deficit in a Sunday rubber match at George Mason.
 
LEADING OFF

• Bean was 3-for-4 on the day with three RBIs and a run scored
• Senior catcher Nic Ericsson also collected three hits (3-for-4), including a double, and scored twice
• Junior second baseman Casey Kleinman also drove in a pair and finished 2-for-6 for the Black and Gold
• Graduate righthander Owen Tappy threw the final 3.2 innings – his longest outing of the year -- for the Rams to earn his seventh win of the season. He scattered four hits, did not allow a run and struck out one

THE STRETCH

• VCU trailed 8-4 after six innings, but scored one run in the seventh, two in the eighth and two in the ninth to earn the win
• A single and a walk to lead off the VCU ninth put runners on first and second for senior centerfielder Cooper Benzin. Benzin laid down a sacrifice bunt, and a throwing error allowed graduate Eli Weisner to come around to score and tie the game at 8-8. Two batters later, Bean lifted a fly ball into left field to score senior Jake Thilges and give VCU a 9-8 lead. Tappy allowed a 1-out single in the ninth, but held off the Patriots to secure the win
• VCU trimmed Mason's lead to 8-7 in the eighth on an RBI single by freshman first baseman Chris McHugh and an RBI groundout by senior third baseman Brandon Eike
• Thilges roped an RBI double into left center in the VCU seventh

NEXT UP
VCU will host 14^th-ranked Virginia at 6:30 p.m. at The Diamond. It will be the second meeting between the two clubs this season. The Cavaliers earned an 8-4 win on April 9 in Charlottesville, Va.