CAA first place Rams win fourth straight

VCU Baseball won the first two games of a three-game home series against Old Dominion University this past weekend. The Rams are first in the CAA with a 6-1 conference record and a 24-7 overall record after the wins. The Monarchs fell to 1-3 in the CAA (10-17 overall) with the losses.

In game one, VCU rallied to earn a 3-2 victory against ODU. The Rams scored all three of their runs in the final two innings of the game to earn the conference victory.

The score was tied in the bottom of the ninth, when senior left fielder Jose Pabon was walked by ODU freshman Jason Godin. Pabon advanced to third base on a single from junior shortstop Paul Swack. Godin then let loose a wild pitch and Pabon crossed home plate for the win.

ODU got up on VCU early when sophomore Evan Chipman came home on a single from senior catcher John Oehler in the top of the first. The score stayed at 1-0 until the top of the eighth when senior center fielder Brent Sollenberger sent home Chipman to put the Monarchs up 2-0.

In the bottom of the eighth, VCU was down 2-0. Center fielder Eric Latura ended up on first base by a walk. Senior right fielder Justin Mattison then had a base hit to put runners on first and second with only one out in the inning. The runners then advanced to second and third on a passed ball.

Freshman Joe Meador then delivered a two-run single on a pitch from the Monarchs’ starter Justin Verlander to tie the game.

Junior Brian Marshall earned the win for VCU. Marshall had one and one-third scoreless innings, two strike outs and gave up only one hit. Marshall’s record for the year is now 2-2. Godin dropped to 1-2 on the season for the Monarchs. Both teams’ starters gave good performances. ODU’s Verlander held VCU to only two hits and had 12 strike outs in the first seven innings of play.

Sophomore Justin Orenduff gave up only three hits for the Rams in six and two-third innings. Orenduff had nine strike outs in his performance.

In game two, VCU had 13 hits in a 7-3 victory. Sophomore catcher Jeff Parrish went three-for-three in the outing, tallying two RBIs. Latura, Anthony Granato and Nick Jones each earned two hits and an RBI in the victory against the Monarchs.

The Rams found themselves trailing early in the game again, down 2-1 in the bottom of the third. However, the team would turn it around, earning four runs against the Monarch’s freshman Ricky Shefka. Mattison got on base with a double and was followed by Meador, who had an infield hit to get runners on the corners with one out. Granato then had a single to drive in Mattison and tie the game at 2-2. Jones and Parrish then followed with run-scoring base hits to put the team up by two. Senior first baseman Danny Lopaze then hit a sacrifice fly to put the Rams up one more.

In the top of the fifth inning, the Monarchs tried to come back when Chipman came home on a groundout from Sollenberger. However, the Monarchs where then shut down by Rams reliever Cla Meredith who allowed only one hit in the remaining four innings of the game.

Junior Sean Marshall was credited with the win, his record improved to 4-1 with the five-inning start for VCU. Shefka who dropped to 3-5 had six earned runs and gave up 13 hits while striking out five VCU batters in seven and two-third innings.

The Rams next outing is Wednesday, April 9 at 3 p.m. VCU will face cross-town rival University of Richmond at U of R.