Baseball wins seventh in-a-row
Zach Joachim
Contributing Writer
VCU baseball defeated the University of Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville on April 20 by a final tally of 11-5, marking a season sweep against the defending national champions.
The Rams rocked 14 hits en route to their seventh consecutive win, four of which found the outfield bleachers of Davenport Field. Junior right-hander Luke Crabb was credited with his second win of the year in relief action.
Wednesday’s win was VCU’s second over U.Va. this season after dropping 16 contests in a row to the in-state rivals.
Black and Gold junior shortstop Matt Davis got the offense started in the top of the second inning. His solo home-run off of Cavaliers starting pitcher Holden Grounds scraped the top of the left field wall.
The Hoos responded by taking a two-run lead with a three-run bottom of the frame. The Cavs sophomore infielder Justin Novak highlighted the rally with a two-run homer to left off of Rams junior starter Jonathan Ebersole.
Both sides traded runs in the third inning. Novak chalked up another RBI on a groundout with a runner on third and VCU junior first baseman Darian Carpenter lined a solo-shot to left field.
The Black and Gold’s relentless offense came alive in the top of the fifth. Sophomore second baseman Daane Berezo and senior outfielder James Bunn both reached on base on walks, setting up a prime scoring opportunity with junior center fielder Logan Farrar at the plate and one man down.
Fararr scalded a liner off of the pitcher’s foot and it deflected into shallow right field. The play scored Berezo to cut the lead to 4-3 and Farrar reached second thanks to an intuitive read.
After Carpenter flew out for the second out of the inning, the Rams caught a big-time break. Cavaliers hurler Kevin Doherty threw a wild pitch to the backstop in his attempt to intentionally walk Davis, which allowed Bunn to score and tie the game and Fararr to advance to third.
Junior Jimmy Kerrigan, senior Cody Acker and senior Walker Haymaker hit three consecutive RBI singles after the miscue to give VCU a 7-4 lead.
Sophomore Tanner Winter relieved Ebersole on the mound for the Rams in the bottom-half of the fifth. The right-hander posted a pivotal 1-2-3 frame to get his club back in the dugout after their offensive explosion.
Carpenter kept the mojo rolling in the top of the sixth. The imposing power-threat blasted a moonshot to the deepest part of the yard in straightaway center field with a runner on to give his side some insurance runs and a 9-4 advantage.
Sophomore Mitchel Lacy picked up an RBI single in a pinch-hitting appearance with two outs and Kerrigan on third in the top of the seventh, swelling the VCU lead to 10-4 — the Rams had no trouble holding on to pick up the big road win.
The sweep of U.Va. was the first for the Rams in 13 years.
