Ben Martindale, Staff Writer
Baseball at Virginia Tech University
VCU fell to Virginia Tech 11-8 despite scoring eight runs for the second consecutive game. The game started slow but picked up in the fourth inning with both teams driving in four runs. Going into the sixth inning the game was tied at five runs apiece. Virginia Tech pulled ahead from that point on, driving in six more runs en route to the victory.
Lacrosse at Davidson College
VCU beat Davidson 7-4 in a back-and-forth matchup. The Rams opened up the scoring as first-year Kate Unzicker scored with 12 minutes remaining in the first quarter. The two teams settled into a defensive battle from then on. Davidson scored two consecutive runs to take a 2-1 lead. The Rams bounced back to take a 5-3 lead by the 12 minute-mark of the third quarter. Davidson managed to score one more goal, but VCU controlled the remainder of the game.
Women’s tennis vs George Mason University
VCU cruised past George Mason 4-0 in an Atlantic 10 matchup. The Rams found their groove early, winning the doubles point after winning matches on courts two and three. In singles play, second-year Sara Alba continued the momentum for VCU, winning the first singles point of the match 6-1, 6-1. First-year Viktoria Lackova closed out the match for the Rams with a 6-3, 6-3 victory. VCU cruised to the win and improved to 8-7 on the season.
Baseball at University of Dayton – weekend series
In the first game of its weekend series matchup against Dayton, VCU handled business in dominant fashion winning 17-7. The game started slowly for the Rams, and they fell behind 4-1 through three innings. VCU turned things around in the fourth inning, scoring eight runs. From that point on VCU maintained control and cruised to the victory.
The second game of the series was far more competitive than the first, with VCU requiring extra innings to get the 5-2 victory. The VCU pitchers were excellent all day long. Fourth-year Patrick Steitz pitched seven innings and posted seven strikeouts for the second consecutive week and second-years Zach Peters and Cooper Cambell combined for five strikeouts and gave up zero earned runs. The victory marked the Rams third consecutive weekend series win and fifth consecutive conference win to start A-10 play.
In the third and final game of the series, Dayton got revenge against VCU winning the game 14-12. VCU got off to a nightmare start, giving up six runs in the first inning and another four in the third. Despite the 10-2 deficit, the Rams battled back, making the game competitive and almost pulling off a miraculous comeback. VCU is now 13-10 overall and 5-1 in the A-10 conference this season.
Men’s tennis vs. Elon University
VCU ended its seven game losing streak against Elon 4-3. The Rams got on the board first, securing the doubles point. The two teams went back-and-forth refusing to give an inch. Each school won three singles matches, enough to secure VCU the 4-3 victory. This match was the first outdoor match of the season, and the Rams hope to use it to springboard a turnaround.
Women’s tennis at Old Dominion University
The Rams came up short to the Monarchs 4-1. VCU got off to a good start against ODU, claiming the doubles point and taking a 1-0 lead. Unfortunately for the Rams, that was the last point they would score that day, dropping four consecutive singles matches en route to the defeat. The loss drops the Rams to 8-8 on the season.
Lacrosse vs. La Salle University
VCU got off to a quick start and never looked back, beating La Salle 10-6. The Rams benefited from a team high three goals from second-year midfielder Sam Palmer — her third hattrick of the season. Second-year attack Rachel Koeneke also made a big impact, scoring two goals. The Rams now sit at 7-3 on the season and 3-1 in the A-10.
Men’s tennis vs. University of North Carolina Wilmington
VCU lost 5-2 to UNCW in its second matchup of the weekend. The Rams fell behind early as UNCW secured the doubles point. VCU tried to battle back in singles play with second-year Gevorg Mnatsakanyan and first-year Patrik Petera securing victories, but it was not enough in the end. The Rams now hold a record of 5-10 on the season.