Baseball continues struggles away from home

VCU dropped all four games against two strong baseball teams over the past week, with a lone game at home against Marist College and a three-game series at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. The Black and Gold fell to 7-2 at home and 3-8 on the road in their 2017 campaign.  

After the 16-5 loss to Marist Thursday at the Diamond, the Rams were unable to shut down the Seahawks of UNC-Wilmington, as they were swept over the weekend. After VCU’s disheartening blowout to Marist, the Seahawks held on for a close victory in the Friday night game. Wilmington racked up 20 runs over the final two games, neither of which were close.

Sunday

VCU’s third and final game against UNCW ended in a 10-1 loss, but the Rams were able to notch eight hits off of Seahawk pitching. However, four errors proved to be the kryptonite for the team’s performance, significantly hurting them in the field.

UNCW scored first, tallying three runs off of VCU senior starter Brooks Vial, who pitched five and one-third innings before being removed for senior closer Sam Donko.

Back-to-back homers in the third from Kennard McDowell and Casey Golden were the notable contributors to their scoring. Three runs came off the bats of UNCW once again in the latter half of the sixth, including a two-run shot from Clark Cota.

The Seahawks added insult to injury in the bottom halves of the seventh and eighth, scoring three more runs to increase their advantage to 10-0. The shutout of the Black and Gold continued until the ninth, when sophomore infielder Brody Cook homered to left.

Saturday

The Black and Gold fell short in their second game at UNCW as well, as the Seahawk offense was relentless in a 10-4 victory.

Plating two runs in the bottom of the first, UNCW struck quickly with a two-run shot from Brian Mims for an early lead. Golden’s second-inning RBI single and Cota’s solo homer in the tail end of the third increased UNCW’s lead to 4-0. The game remained within reach for the Rams for six and a half innings, until Wilmington exploded in the bottom of the seventh for five runs, effectively sealing the win.

VCU struck back in the opening half of the fourth, cutting the Seahawks’ lead in half with two runs on an RBI single from freshman shortstop Paul Witt and an RBI groundout from junior third baseman Zac Ching.

Junior infielder Daane Berenzo and senior outfielder Logan Farrar each crossed the plate in the top of the fifth, with Farrar scoring the tying run, but the Rams would not drive in another run as UNCW tallied six unanswered to take the lead and the game by a score of 10-4.

Alex Gransback and Farrar each had multi-hit games with an RBI apiece, while Ching and Witt both had hits and RBIs on the day.

Friday

VCU mounted a comeback in the top of the ninth in their first game of the UNCW series, but it was not enough to top the Seahawks.

The scoring opened in the latter half of the third inning, with Casey Golden blasting a solo homer.

VCU quickly followed, getting their first hit in the top of the fourth. Freshman catcher Josh Simon and junior outfielder Haiden Lamb ignited the scoring for the Black and Gold in the top of the fifth with back-to-back singles, as senior first baseman/designated hitter Darian Carpenter drove in Simon from third to tie the game. Berezo singled to center, breaking the tie for a 2-1 lead, and Gransback singled to make the lead 3-1.

UNCW rallied with a vengeance in the bottom of the seventh, scoring four runs to give themselves a 5-3 advantage. Two walks and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for the Rams in the top of the ninth, and, after Farrar flied out, Gransback patiently drew a walk to score a run and cut the lead to one. However, Witt’s flyout to center ended the game and the rally. Witt and Lamb contributed multi-hit performances, and Gransback ended the day with a hit and two RBI.

Marist

The Rams’ single game against Marist ended in a blowout, as the Red Foxes scored fifteen runs over seven innings to top VCU by a final of 15-6.

The Black and Gold struck early, as Ching and Lamb’s back-to-back RBI hits gave VCU an early 2-0 lead. Marist took their revenge in the opening half of the third, plating six runs, with Andrew Rouse singling in two.

A two-run homer from Tyler Kapuscinski made it 8-2 in the top of the fourth for the Red Foxes, who were only getting started. VCU rebounded with a pair of runs in the latter half of the fourth, with senior catcher Dylan Isquirdo and Berezo notching RBIs to cut the deficit to two runs.

Marist tallied six more runs through the next three innings, extending their advantage to 14-4, while the Rams were able to add another run on a wild pitch. Marist plated another run in the eighth, but Carpenter improved on his day, launching a home run for his third of the season. Carpenter’s homer would prove to be the final run of the game, as a scoreless ninth ended a 15-6 loss for the Rams.
The Rams return to action Tuesday, when they take on Longwood University at The Diamond. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.

Adam Cheek, Contributing Writer