RAMS SPLIT DOUBLEHEADER, THOMPSON SECURES FIRST CAREER WIN
Rams bounce back in afternoon game
 
Game One Score: Charleston 12, VCU 2 (7 inn.)
Game Two Score: VCU 10, Charleston 9
Location:  Mt. Pleasant, S.C. (Ballpark at Patriots Point)
Records: VCU 1-2, Charleston 2-1
 
THE SHORT STORY: First-year head coach Sean Thompson earned the first victory of his coaching career as the Rams bounced back from their tough start in the second game of the opening weekend doubleheader. Graduate reliever Owen Tappy and the Rams held off Charleston for a 10-9 victory in the evening.
 
LEADING OFF:

• Freshman catcher Jacob Lee, who clobbered the game-winning home run, combined for three RBI, two runs and a pair of hits in the doubleheader
• Nick Flores, freshman second baseman, opened the day with a first-pitch, leadoff home run—the Rams' first of the year
• Sean Swenson and Will Henson each had a pair of hits in the nightcap, while Seth Werchan opened the day with a 2-2 performance
• Lee and Flores each recorded hits in each of the weekend's contests, working up three-game streaks
• Tappy earned the victory on the mound for the Rams
• Head coach Thompson's first career coaching win is unique in that it comes on top of his 27 victories as a VCU pitcher, the second-most in program history
• The all-time series between the teams remains tied at 5-5

 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Game One

• Flores opened the doubleheader day with the Rams' first home run of the season on the game's first pitch
• Werchan laid down a bunt single and Lee drove one to center field as the Rams racked up three hits in the first three batters
• Collin Hughes drove in the second run for VCU in the first innings on a sacrifice fly
• Charleston answered with a run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first, trailing 2-1
• The Cougars began to pull away in the third inning, plating a pair before adding nine runs over the next four frames
• Charleston secured the series with a 12-2 victory in seven innings

 
Game Two

• Trent Adelman opened the scoring in the nightcap, driving in Swenson with a sacrifice fly
• Miles Garrett made his VCU debut, opening with a pair of scoreless innings and allowing just a pair of baserunners
• Charleston broke the game open in the third frame, plating four and taking advantage of a costly VCU error
• In the fourth, Nate Kirkpatrick belted two-run shot over the left field wall to bring the Rams within a run of the host
• VCU put up crooked numbers once again in the fifth, as three HBPs loaded the bases for a Danny Estrada RBI four-pitch walk before Swenson drove in the tying run on a sacrifice fly and Lee came home on a passed ball to steal the VCU lead back, 7-6
• Owen Tappy entered in relief and held the Cougars to just one run in the seventh frame, but the host took an 8-7 lead
• Lee smacked a 409-foot home run to center field to score three and take the Rams' lead back, 10-8
• Werchan made a stunning grab in center field to secure the second out of the ninth inning and Tappy shut the door on the Rams' first victory of the year

 
UP NEXT:
VCU will return to the Commonwealth for its first midweek matchup on the road at Longwood at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 18.