No. 25 VCU Baseball 1-2 after season opening series against No. 21 Auburn University

The 25th ranked VCU Baseball team met the 21st ranked (Baseball America and Sports Weekly/ESPN preseason national baseball polls) Auburn University Tigers for a three-game series to open their season last weekend.

In the first of three games, the Rams gave up a three-run homer to left fielder Sean Gamble in the bottom of the ninth to give the Tigers the 5-4 win.

Heading into the final inning, second baseman Tug Hulett earned a walk with only one out. VCU’s closing pitcher Brian Marshall then struck out Auburn’s Karl Amonite, earning the second out of the inning. AU shortstop Chuck Jeroloman then made it to second base on balls after fouling four two-strike pitches. Gamble then ended the game with his home run over the right field wall.

Justin Mattison, a senior right fielder for the Rams, earned a two-run home run, driving in center fielder Eric Latura, who had previously singled up the middle.

AU took the early lead in the first inning after Clete Thomas grounded out to drive in Javon Moran on third base. Moran made it to third base after a one-out single, stealing second and advancing to third on a wild throw.

In the fourth, VCU tied the game when VCU catcher Jeff Parrish drove in second baseman Nick Jones with a double. Mattison then earned his first career home run in the fifth to give VCU the 3-1 lead.

The Tigers tried to come back in the bottom of the fifth when they loaded the bases with a double from Josh Bell, a base hit by Hulett and a walk from Jeroloman. Gamble sent Bell in with a ground out to bring the score to 3-2. Moran then hit into a double play to end the inning.

VCU would score again in the eighth inning to bring their lead back up to two runs when left fielder Jose Pabon was driven in from third by Parrish.

VCU starter Sean Marshall held Auburn to one earned run and four hits before leaving the mound in the sixth inning. Cla Meredith had one and one-third scoreless innings before relief by Marshall in the seventh.

In the second game of the three game series, VCU won 5-2 after a rally in the eighth inning that earned four runs.

After seven innings, the Rams were down 2-1, but in the eighth, VCU sent nine men to the plate. Latura singled off Auburn’s Steven Register. Mattison followed Latura with a double. Third baseman Anthony Granato then sent Latura home with a grounder to tie the game. After two more batters, Jones hit a double down the left field line, sending in Mattison for the lead. Parrish then knocked home Jones with a base hit.

Pinch-hitter Joe Meador welcomed AU’s Daniel Forrer with a base hit that drove in freshmen Gabe Riley, giving VCU the 5-2 lead.

VCU took the early lead in game two after first baseman Danny Lopaze singled, advanced to third on a double by Parrish and scored on a ground out from Riley in the second inning. In the bottom of the inning, Auburn tied the game when Amonite hit a solo homer.

Auburn took the lead in the fifth when Scott Schade doubled, and was sent in by a single from Moran.

George Washington transfer Justin Orenduff had two runs and five hits during five innings in his VCU debut. The Tigers’ Eric Brandon gave up one run and struck out eight in just less than six innings. The Rams’ Tommy Edelblut didn’t allow a run in one and two-thirds innings.

Meredith had one and two-thirds scoreless innings for VCU to pick up the win. Marshall earned his first save of the year after causing AU’s Thomas to hit into a double play in the bottom of the ninth. Register earned the loss after allowing five hits and four runs in less than one inning.

In the final game of the series three AU pitchers aided in a four-hit shutout.

The Tigers started Colby Paxton, who allowed only three hits and three walks in the first five and one-third innings. Cory Dueitt then took over for Paxton and held the Rams to only one hit for the next two and one-third innings. Register finished up for Auburn, retiring four out of five batters faced, striking out three and earning his first save of the season.

Four Tigers had two hits each in the 5-0 victory against the Rams. AU’s Schade singled to send in Bobby Huddleston with two outs on the board in the bottom of the fourth. In the seventh, Moran hit a double off of VCU’s Matt Prendergast down the right field line to send in Thomas and bring the score to 2-0. In the eighth, the Tigers had five consecutive hits to drive the score to 5-0. Schade doubled with one out and then came home on a base hit from Hulett. Thomas then had an RBI single to drive in the fourth run for Auburn. A wild pitch with the bases loaded sent in the final Auburn scorer for the game.

VCU’s best chance to get on the scoreboard came in the bottom of the sixth inning, when Latura opened the inning with a base hit off of AU’s Paxton. Latura then made it to second off a sacrifice bunt from Mattison and took third off a ground out. The Rams would not score, however. Dueitt forced VCU’s Riley to fly out and end the inning.

VCU’s starter Michael Leishman was charged with the loss after surrendering five hits and one run in four innings. Leishman held AU scoreless over the first three innings of the game.

The Rams finished the series against Auburn 1-2, but will try to improve their record when they open their home schedule with a doubleheader Saturday against St. Joseph’s. The first game is scheduled for 2 p.m. at The Diamond.