Score: VCU 5, Fordham 3
Location: Bronx, N.Y. (Houlihan Park)
Records: VCU 19-14 (9-4), Fordham 14-19 (6-7)
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VCU baseball lifted three home runs in the opening game of the weekend, and senior right-handed pitcher
Zach Peters held Fordham off the scoreboard for three innings to give VCU a weekend-opening win in the Bronx, N.Y., 5-3.
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LEADING OFF:
- VCU's three home runs came from Dante DeFranco, Michael Petite and Jacob Lee
- DeFranco led off the game with a first-pitch home run, one of his two hit
- Lee crossed the 100-hit threshold and blasted his 24th career home run to tie for ninth all-time in program history in the statistic
- Trent Adelman had VCU's lone hit outside of the top of the lineup
- Dawson Newman was the pitcher of record, allowing one inherited runner to score, but going 3.0 innings and striking out a career-high five batters
- Zach Peters' 3.0 shutout innings extended his streak to 10 consecutive outings without allowing an earned run. He picked up his third save of the season
- Fordham outhit VCU 8-6, but VCU didn't allow an extra-base hit
- Fordham's Joey Donnelly had two sacrifice flies
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- DeFranco blasted the first pitch of the weekend to left field, but Fordham answered with a sac fly in the bottom of the frame to leave it tied 1-1 after the opening inning
- In the third inning, Petite smacked a two-run shot for VCU's second home run of the game to take back the visiting Rams' lead, 3-1
- Fordham worked its way back to a 3-3 tie over the next two frames, driving in runs on a sacrifice fly and a VCU balk
- Lee's go-ahead, two-run blast gave VCU its decisive lead in the fifth inning, 5-3, as DeFranco came across for his second run of the game
- Dawson Newman and Peters combined to shut out Fordham for the final five frames, holding onto VCU's series-opening win
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UP NEXT
VCU will look to take the series in the second contest of its three-game set against Fordham on Saturday, April 11, at 1 p.m. at Houlihan Park. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.