After suffering from a 1-for-28 slump
going into this past weekend’s series with
Northeastern, VCU junior first baseman
Jared Bolden (Lynchburg/E.C. Glass) was
looking to make a change.
“I went to the (batting) cage Thursday
and did some work and some extra
things,” he said.
After a successful series against the
Huskies, Bolden continued to find his
swing Tuesday night with a 3-for-5,
5-RBI performance that led the Rams
to an 11-5 victory over cross-town rival
Richmond at The Diamond.
“I think I got my swing back. I’ve
been struggling for a long time,” Bolden
said.
After the teams exchanged runs in the
second inning, Richmond took a 2-1 lead
in the top of the third on an RBI single
by catcher Ryan Grant. However, Bolden
would answer in the bottom half and put
the Rams in the lead for good.
Shortstop Joe Van Meter (Brooklyn,
N.Y./St. Dominic) led off the inning
with a bloop single over the third
baseman’s head. After M.L. Morgan
(Petersburg/Dinwiddie) flew out to
center field, Richard Gonzalez (Caguas,
Puerto Rico/PRBA) singled to advance
Van Meter to third. Bolden stepped up
to bat next and turned on a pitch, which
he sent down the right-field line and off
an electronic sign for a three-run homer
that gave the Rams a 4-2 lead.
“The hole that we’re in . we’ve got
to hit like that,” VCU head coach Paul
Keyes said.
After the Spiders went down quietly
in the fourth, Van Meter showed power
of his own. After catcher Eric Curtis
(Chesterfield/Matoaca) led off the inning
with a walk, Van Meter launched a home
run to left-center field to give the Rams
a 6-2 advantage.
Richmond would cut the VCU lead
to 6-5 in the fifth behind an RBI double
from designated hitter Evan Stehle and a
two-run single by Grant off VCU reliever
Brett Walker (Virginia Beach/Cox). The
Spiders were unable to do any damage
the rest of the way as Robbie Andrews
(Covington/Alleghany) pitched the final
four innings and only gave up one hit.
After three hitless innings, the Rams
added five insurance runs in the eighth.
Senior Kwan Evans (Hampton/Bethel)
led off the inning with a double and
advanced to third on a single by Chris
Jackson (Midlothian/Manchester).
After a strikeout, Curtis reached on a
fielder’s choice while Evans beat the
throw home.
Three batters later, Richard Gonzalez
knocked in two runs with a single, and
Bolden finished the inning with a tworun
triple, brining the Rams’ advantage
to 11-5.
The victory marks the first time VCU
has won back-to-back games since March
16 and March 18 when the Rams defeated
Manhattan 5-3 and Longwood 9-8.
After the win, coach Keyes said he
thinks the team sees what it must do
the rest of the season.
“I think the guys have some confi-
dence now; they know what’s at stake
and they’ve got to win.”
—
By the numbers
UR (15-20-1) 011 030 000 5 11 3
VCU (10-21) 013 200 05x 11 11 1
Trent, Falasco (4), Horn (6),
Clark (7), Barber (8), Joines (8)
and Grant; Graham, Walker (4),
Andrews (6) and Curtis.
W: Graham (1-3). L: Trent (1-3). S:
Andrews (1).