BASEBALL
Impending rain forced VCU and Northeastern to play three games in just
more than a 24-hour span Friday and Saturday. The Rams and Huskies split
Friday’s double-header. The Rams won the first game 15-7 but dropped the
seven-inning second one 12-11 on a seventh-inning two-run home run. Richard
Gonzalez (Caguas, Puerto Rico/PRBA) and and Jared Bolden (Lynchburg/E.C.
Glass) combined for 14 of the Rams’ 34 hits in the two games. VCU finished
the series with a 16-2 win and 42 total runs in three games. All nine starters
recorded at least one hit in Saturday’s rubber match, which started after a
three-hour rain delay. The team is now 3-9 in the CAA and 9-21 overall.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Junior Eric Maynor (Raeford, N.C./Westover) and senior Jamal Shuler
(Jacksonville, N.C./Jacksonville) were named first- and second-team all-state
respectively by the Virginia Sports Information Directors. George Mason’s Will
Thomas joined Maynor on the first team, along with the University of Virginia’s
Sean Singletary, VMI’s Reggie Williams and Virginia Tech’s A.D. Vassallo.
MEN’S TENNIS
Head coach Paul Kostin earned his 800th career victory Saturday after 26thranked
VCU defeated No. 45 Denver 4-2 in Norfolk. Kostin is only the fifth
collegiate coach to reach the 800-win mark. Denver won the doubles point, but
the Rams took four of the five completed singles matches to take the win. No.
124 Damien Lacombe (Perigueux, France) earned another win with a 6-3, 7-6
(1) defeat of David Simson on Court 3. The Rams improved to 16-7 with the
win. Sunday’s scheduled match against South Alabama was canceled.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
No. 36 VCU edged Old Dominion 4-3 Friday in Norfolk. The Rams dropped
the first doubles match but rallied to win the last two and earned the point.
Kateryna Yergina (Kiev, Ukraine) won 6-2, 6-1 on No. 3 singles court and
improved to 15-2 this season. Olena Leonchuk (Kiev, Ukraine) and Keteryna
Malakhova (Nova Kakhovka, Ukraine) were also victorious in singles play. The
match was the team’s final one of the regular season. The conference tournament
will be held April 17-20.
MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
DeAngelo Wilson (Richmond/Prince Edward) highlighted VCU’s effort at the
Lou Onesty/Abramson Invitational in Charlottesville this past weekend with a
victory in the 100-meter dash. Wilson stopped the clock at 10.55 seconds, a
time that qualified the sophomore for the NCAA Regionals meet, to be held
in late May in Tallahassee, Fla. Wilson teamed with Jason Gallo (Rochester,
N.Y./Eastridge), Jamal Blyden (Virginia Beach/Landstown) and Antonio Norvell
(Portsmouth/I.C. Norcom) to win the 4×100-meter relay in a time of 41.19
seconds.
WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
As the only VCU representative at the Lou Onesty/Abramson Invitational,
Verniece Johnson (Mineral/Louisa) placed sixth in the long-jump event with a
18-foot, 5.75-inch leap.