Cavaliers crush the Rams
VCU first-year infielder Adrian Jimenez sets up to hit against UVA. Photo by Anthony Dung.
Dan Elson, Contributing writer
The Cavaliers blew out the Rams 13-0 in just seven innings on April 8.
The Rams, who are last in batting average according to the Atlantic 10, had just four hits in the game — two of them from first-year second baseman Adrian Jimenez, one from first-year catcher Jacob Lee and fourth-year right fielder Danny Estrada.
“UVA is a good team,” said Rams fourth-year shortstop Casey Kleinman. “They came out hot. We’ve been playing good baseball recently. We wanted to bring that in today but they came out with more energy.”
Rams fourth-year starting pitcher Miles Garrett ran into trouble early in the top of the first inning. He gave up a leadoff double to Cavaliers third-year center fielder Aidan Teel and a walk to second-year shortstop Eric Becker. UVA’s second-year first baseman Henry Ford lined an RBI single up the middle to give the Cavaliers a 1-0 lead.
Cavaliers third-year catcher Trey Wells extended UVA’s lead to 3-0 on a triple to deep center which scored Becker and Ford and third-year left fielder Harrison Didawick’s RBI single gave the Cavaliers a 4-0 lead.
The Cavaliers added two more runs to their lead in the top of the second on an RBI double from Becker and a ground out to second base that scored third-year third baseman Luke Hanson.
After two innings from Garrett, who gave up four earned runs and walked one batter, the Rams turned to Cooper Campbell for the top of the third. Campbell pitched two innings, gave up four runs on five hits, walked three batters and struck out three.
In the top of the third, Cavaliers third-year second baseman Henry Godbout led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a fielding error from Rams second-year center fielder Trent Adelman and a walk to UVA’s first-year third baseman James Nunnallee. The Rams were able to escape trouble.
The Cavaliers scored four more runs in the top of the fourth on an RBI single from third-year designated hitter Chris Arroyo, a bases-loaded walk, and a two-RBI single to left field from Nunnallee.
Cavaliers third-year pitcher Bradley Hodges pitched five innings, gave up two hits and struck out seven batters.
Jimenez singled up the middle in the bottom of the sixth and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. VCU third-year outfielder and first baseman Spencer Sullivan came into pinch hit and was hit by a pitch. For the first time in the game, the Rams loaded the bases up on a walk but a double play kept the Rams scoreless.
“It’s a little bit frustrating,” Kleinman said. “We got to move on towards George Mason and put all of our focus towards that series right there and keep it up, because our last two series, conference series, we’ve been playing really well.”
In the top of the eighth inning, Becker hit a three-run home run, his fifth of the season, to center field to widen the lead to 13-0.
“This is a VCU team that believes in what we’re doing here and these guys have continued to compete in the face of adversity,” Rams head coach Sean Thompson said in a statement. “Tonight, Virginia played a good game, they came out with high energy and put runs on the board.”
The Rams will travel to St. Louis, Missouri on Thursday, April 17 to play the Saint Louis Billikens at 7 p.m.
