Rams return home to crush VMI

The VCU baseball team returned to Richmond for their first home game since March 18 to face VMI Tuesday night.

After tough sets at Western Kentucky and UNC Wilmington, the Rams were in need of a win.

“Feels good to be home, we’ve been on the road for a really long time now,” said sophomore third baseman Joe Van Meter (Oyster Bay, N.Y./St. Dominic). “We feel really comfortable at home. We showed that tonight.”

The Rams did indeed show how comfortable they were, bashing the Keydets 17-8.

After VMI scored one in the opening inning, the Rams came back to score three in the bottom half of the first on a Justin Wright (Yorktown/Grafton) sacrifice fly, and Van Meter’s RBI single and a Keydet error, which allowed junior Doug Otto (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) to score.

After a great tone setter to open up the game, the Rams cruised as junior starter Robbie Andrews (Covington/Alleghany) continued to shut down the Keydets’ hitting.

VCU held an 8-2 lead, until the bottom of the fifth.

The Rams got the first three hitters of the inning on base, and never looked back, scoring eight runs on six hits. In the inning, VMI aided VCU with three errors and three walks.

The big strike in the inning came on a Wright triple with the bases loaded. The base clearer helped Wright finish with four RBIs on the evening.

Van Meter finished 2-for-4 with three RBI. He also pitched two innings to close out the game. Otto also had a big game going 2-for-4 and scoring four runs.

After losing six of their last seven games, VCU was happy to get the win over their in-state nemesis.

“We’ve had a tough stretch on the road, so it was good to come out in front of a good crowd, put up some big offense and get a win,” Wright said.

The Rams stay home this weekend for a three game series with in-conference foe Hofstra. The first home series in CAA play will be pivotal for VCU.

“It is good to have a stretch here at home and we’ve got to take advantage of it this weekend,” VCU coach Paul Keyes said.

The Rams’ CAA record currently stands at 1-2. They are 11-10 overall.