Hayden Braun, Staff Writer
Women’s tennis vs. George Washington University
VCU won 4-1 in Atlantic 10 conference play over GW on Tuesday. The Rams secured the doubles point early and carried that momentum into singles play. The strong performance marked a confident start to conference competition for the Rams.
Women’s lacrosse vs. Longwood University
The Rams dominated with a 15-4 win over the Lancers on Tuesday. VCU’s offense put constant pressure on Longwood, scoring early and often with many contributions across the lineup. Third-year midfielder Sam Palmer had four goals in the victory. VCU’s defense also played lights-out, forcing turnovers and limiting Longwood’s transition opportunities
Baseball at No. 8 University of North Carolina
VCU lost to No. 8 North Carolina 13-3. The Tar Heels used timely batting and strong pitching to pull ahead, while the Rams fought to stay in the contest. VCU could not capitalize consistently enough at the plate to overcome the ranked opponent. The Rams earned eight walks in the loss.
Women’s track & field — Atlantic 10 Indoor Championships
VCU’s women’s team captured the A-10 Indoor Championship title on Saturday. The Rams scored consistently across all events to secure the title. Third-year Desi Akaolisa was named the A-10’s Most Outstanding Field performer after taking home bronze in the weight throw and gold in shot put. Fourth-year Asia Powell took home gold in the 60 meter dash coming in at 7.36 seconds, a personal best and second fastest 60m time in VCU history.
Men’s track & field — Atlantic 10 Indoor Championships
VCU’s men’s team placed third at the indoor championship on Saturday, where second-year Marcus Acheampong shattered the program records for the 60m hurdles prelim at 7.88 seconds. Fourth-year Philip Daniel also set a program record in the triple jump at 15.66 meters bringing home gold for the Rams and setting a No. 44 best in Division 1 this season.
Women’s tennis vs. Georgetown University
VCU swept Georgetown 4-0 on Friday. The Rams dominated early by taking the doubles point and carried that advantage into singles play, where they secured wins all across the lineup. The sweep marked a strong finish for the Rams.
Men’s tennis vs. No. 25 Cornell University
VCU fell to No. 25 Cornell 4-1 on Saturday. The Rams battled hard throughout the matchup, with several matches coming down to close sets, but could not secure the key points needed to upset the ranked Big Red.
Men’s basketball vs. Fordham University
VCU shrugged off the opposing Fordham, 82-63, at the Siegel Center on Saturday. VCU used a strong first half and a consistent offensive output to build a lead and maintain control throughout the matchup. VCU had four players scored in double digits with redshirt fourth-year guard Jadrian Tracey leading the pack with 15 points and six assists. Fourth-year forward Barry Evans had three blocks and 13 points in the affair.
Women’s basketball at the University of Dayton — Regular Season Finale
VCU ended its regular season with a 79-62 loss at Dayton on Saturday. This ends the season on an eight game losing streak. The Rams battled through an energetic Flyers crowd but struggled to find sustained offensive scoring and momentum on the court. The Rams were competitive early, but the Flyers’ offensive execution was too much. Third-year forward Lucía Sotelo led the Rams with 13 points and six rebounds in the loss.
Men’s tennis vs. Kennesaw State University
VCU came up short 4-1 against Kennesaw State on Sunday. The Rams battled throughout the lineup, but could not secure enough points in singles or doubles play to earn the team win.
Women’s tennis vs. James Madison University
The Rams were edged out by the Dukes 4-3 on Sunday. They dropped a few close singles matches and could not capitalize after earning the doubles point.
Baseball vs. the University of Virginia — Weekend Series
VCU dropped all three games of its weekend series against Virginia. This also marked the first three-game weekend set in the history of the matchup as part of a four-game schedule.
The Rams fell in the series opener on Friday as the Cavaliers used timely hitting and effective pitching to keep VCU’s offense in check. VCU’s pitching staff kept things competitive with 12 total strikeouts, highlighted by third-year pitcher Hunter Gotschall, who recorded a career-high five strikeouts in the loss.
Saturday’s contest stretched into 11 innings, where VCU lost a gritty back-and-forth battle. Fourth-year pitcher Patrick Steitz matched a career best with six innings pitched and led the Rams with five strikeouts. Fifth-year catcher Teige Lethert added a bright spot offensively, hitting his first home run as a Ram. Despite showing resilience late, VCU came up short in extras.
The Rams’ rally fell short again in Sunday’s finale. VCU battled back from an early deficit to make it competitive but could not complete the comeback. Second-year infielder Nick Flores recorded a three-hit game, while the pitching staff struck out double-digit batters for the fifth time this season.