VCU baseball notebook
Staff Reports
The VCU baseball team played a three-game weekend series at Delaware this weekend and dropped two out of three to the Blue Hens. The Rams fell to 19-17 overall and 7-11 in the Colonial Athletic Association.
GAME 1: DELAWARE 10, VCU 1
VCU didn’t start its weekend series against Delaware exactly the way it wanted to. The Rams fell 10-1 to the Blue Hens Friday, scoring their lone run in the top of the eighth inning. Delaware produced two runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings before blowing the game wide open with a four-run seventh inning. VCU had eight different players record a hit, with Brett Mikionis getting the team’s lone RBI.
GAME 2: VCU 11, DELAWARE 4
VCU turned the weekend around Saturday afternoon, pelting Delaware with 11 runs on 12 hits to take an 11-4 decision. The Rams got things going in the top of the fourth inning, producing a pair of runs before dropping three more in the top of the fifth. VCU piled on three runs in both the seventh and ninth inning to seal the game. Redshirt junior Taylor Buran went a perfect 5-for-5 with two runs and five RBI to lead the Rams. Brent Mikionis and Vimael Machin each recorded a pair of hits for VCU. Rams left-hander Ryan Farrar picked up his fourth win of the season, giving up just one run in eight innings.
GAME 3: DELAWARE 6, VCU 2
Delaware took the rubber match Sunday afternoon, defeating VCU 6-2 in the final game of the weekend series. Sophomore Bill Cullen led off the game with a triple for the Rams, bringing his season total to nine, a singleseason program record. Nick Abrahamson went 2-for-3 to lead VCU on offense. Nick Kime gave the Rams a lift with a solo home run to left field in the se venth inning, his first of the season. Heath Dwyer (3-3) took the loss after going one and twothirds innings and giving up six runs on four hits. VCU (19-17, 7-11) visits Longwood Tuesday for a single game before returning home for a three-game weekend series with William & Mary beginning Friday at 6 p.m.
KEYES TAKES LEAVE
OF ABSENCE
VCU baseball head coach Paul Keyes announced Wednesday that he will be taking a leave of absence from the program to focus on his health issues. Associate head coach Shawn Stiffler will take over all day-to-day duties in Keyes’ absence. “The main concern right now is for Coach Keyes to remain healthy and our entire athletic department will do whatever it takes to support him during this time,” Director of Athletics Norwood Teague said in a statement. Keyes is in the midst of his 18th season at VCU and has put together
587 wins during his tenure with the program. He has led the Rams to eight NCAA Tournament appearances and five CAA Championships in the past decade, and has put together 13 winning seasons in the past 15 years.
FORMER VCU STANDOUT EPPLEY
CLAIMED BY YANKEES
Former VCU standout Cody Eppley was claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees and has started the 2012 season at the organization’s Triple-A affiliate Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Eppley was a 43rd round pick by the Rangers in 2008. Eppley, a native of Dillsburg, Pa., came to VCU in 2005 and spent four years with the Rams under head coach Paul Keyes.
