Take me home…West Virginia…

Baseball finished off the week with a 3-1 record, beating the College of William & Mary, sweeping two games against West Virginia University and losing to Illinois University to improve to 3-4 on the young season.

Illinois

Illinois proved to be the Rams’ toughest opponent, as VCU fell 7-4 on Sunday to the Fighting Illini in the last of three games in Conway, S. C. Both teams scored quickly, with a run apiece in the first inning. However, Illinois held VCU scoreless until the seventh, scoring four runs of their own to put the Rams down 5-1. VCU rebounded with three runners crossing the plate in the final three innings, but Illinois added two and took home a 7-4 victory.

West Virginia  

VCU’s weekend series against West Virginia proved to be fruitful, as the Rams swept the Mountaineers in two games.

An 8-5 win on Saturday secured the sweep, as the Black and Gold offense struck early and often. Scoring in six of their eight innings, VCU’s offensive prowess shined Saturday night.

Sophomore infielder Paul Witt blasted a two-run shot into left field in the bottom of the sixth to cap a stellar day, with junior infielder Zac Ching adding three hits, three RBI, a run scored and a walk.

Senior infielder Mitchel Lacey reached on all five of his plate appearances, going three-for-three and also recording a walk and hit by pitch, while junior pitcher/infielder Mac McCarty recorded his third save in as many games.

The second game against West Virginia was an extra-inning thriller on Friday morning. The Black and Gold came out victorious 6-2 in South Carolina. Freshman utility player Hogan Brown was the standout star of the game, going three-for-five while doubling twice and scoring.

Lacey and senior outfielder Haiden Lamb each added two hits and one RBI apiece, with Lamb stealing two bases on the day. Seven of the nine batters for VCU tallied at least one hit, with two pitchers throwing at least three scoreless innings. McCarty recorded the save while graduate pitcher Braxton Wilks took the win.

The game remained scoreless until the sixth, when Lamb laced a single to the right side and scored Brown. The Mountaineers tied the game at 2-2 on a bases-loaded single after VCU padded their lead with another run, but the Black and Gold shut down West Virginia for the remainder of the inning and game. After missing a scoring chance in the 10th, VCU exploded in the 11th inning, as sophomore infielder Brett Willett doubled off the left field wall, scoring fellow sophomore infielders Steven Carpenter and Witt. After the Rams added two more, Wilks and McCarty sealed the win for the Black and Gold in the bottom of the inning.

William & Mary

The Rams edged out a 4-3 win over William & Mary on Tuesday in Williamsburg, as sophomore Connor Gillispie recorded his first win of the year. Willett, senior infielder Daane Berezo, and Ching each contributed two hits, while freshman Liam Hibbits rocketed a double into right-center to score Ching. This fourth run of the game proved to be the difference maker, as VCU led 4-2 going into the ninth.

After a scoreless inning for the Black and Gold at the plate, the Tribe threatened by plating a run, only to be shut down with the tying run in scoring position.

The Black and Gold finally commence their 2017-18 home schedule when they take on the University of Maryland, College Park at the Diamond Wednesday at 3 p.m. Results of Sunday’s 7 p.m. matchup with Coastal Carolina University were not final in time for publication.

Adam Cheek, Contributing writer