Baseball: ECU defeats VCU

It started out looking good for the Virginia Commonwealth University baseball team, but six runs between the fifth and sixth inning for East Carolina University doomed the Rams as they fell to ECU, 7-4, in NCAA baseball action on Wednesday afternoon. With the loss, the Rams fall to 2-7 on the young season, while Pirates improve […]

March 5, 2008; 11:12 PM • by FTRea

It started out looking good for the Virginia Commonwealth University baseball team, but six runs between the fifth and sixth inning for East Carolina University doomed the Rams as they fell to ECU, 7-4, in NCAA baseball action on Wednesday afternoon.

With the loss, the Rams fall to 2-7 on the young season, while Pirates improve to 5-4 on the campaign.

The scoring would start early as East Carolina capitalized on two walks and a VCU error to take a 1-0 lead after just one half inning of play.

ECU’s lead would not last long as sophomore Richard Gonzalez and junior Jared Bolden drew walks, allowing Chris Jackson (Midlothian, Va.) to drop an RBI single into left field to tie the game at 1-1. Freshman Michael Cheatham (Chesterfield, Va.) continued the VCU scoring parade with ripping a double into the left field corner to plate Jackson and Bolden to push the Rams cushion to 3-1. Sophomore Nathan Furry added an RBI single in the home half of the first as the Black and Gold held a 4-1 advantage after just one inning of play.

It looked as if the Rams would add to their lead in the second as they loaded the bases with no outs, but a strikeout, caught stealing and a fielder’s choice would end the rally as the score remained 4-1 after two innings.

Senior right-hander Brett Walker and Pirates reliever Brad Mincey would settle into an old-fashioned pitcher’s duel over the next two frames, until ECU finally reached Walker in the top half of the fifth.

ECU’s rally began as Trent Whitehead led off the fifth with a single and moved to second as Harrison Eldridge was hit by a pitch. Ryan Wood followed with an RBI single to plate Whitehead and a VCU error allowed Eldridge to score and cut the Rams lead to 4-3. Kyle Roller continued the Pirate scoring with his own RBI single to score Wood and Corey Kemp rounded out the four-run fifth with a sacrifice fly as the Pirates took a 5-4 lead.

Eldridge struck again in the sixth as he stroked an RBI triple off the centerfield wall and came around to score on another Wood RBI single as East Carolina pushed their advantage to 7-4 after six innings of play.

Mincey was the story the rest of the way as he stifled the Black and Gold offense, holding VCU to just two hits over the final 7.1 innings to give the Pirates the 7-4 win.

Offensively, the Rams were led by Cheatham who finished 2-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs, while Furry notched two hits and an RBI.

Walker takes the loss to fall to 0-1 on the year, while Mincey picks up the win to improve to 1-0 in 2008.

The Rams are back in action this weekend as they travel to Fairfax, Va. to take on the George Mason University Patriots in the CAA opening series for both squads. First pitch of game one is set for 2:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon.

– The information above was provided by Scott Day, VCU Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

March 5, 2008 11:12 PM 0