West Virginia baseball coach Randy Mazey is a big believer in the story the RPI tells about college baseball teams, but he rarely, if ever, discusses those numbers with his own players. (William Wotring/The Dominion Post)
Sports, WVU Sports

VCU hands West Virginia third straight loss, Rams defeat Mountaineers 4-1

by The Dominion Post

Sports@DominionPost.com

RICHMOND, Va. — The West Virginia baseball team fell to VCU, 4-1, in the opening game of the Central Virginia Challenge, at The Diamond in Richmond, Va., on Friday.

With the game scoreless in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Mountaineers allowed four runs which proved to be the difference in the squad’s first of three games in the Old Dominion this weekend.

VCU finished with four runs on seven hits, while WVU tallied one run on six hits. The Rams committed three errors, to WVU’s none.

Austin Davis got West Virginia (5-4) started in the top of the first, recording a single up the middle. After junior infielder Tyler Doanes also reached base, WVU had runners on second and third with one out, before the Rams got out of the early jam without harm.

Jackson Wolf got off to another good start in his third start of the campaign, registering a pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the first. He didn’t allow a hit until the sixth inning.

In the top of the sixth, the Mountaineers again looked to get something brewing.

First, Doanes reached on an infield hit and eventually advanced all the way to third on a failed pick-off attempt.

However, WVU couldn’t drive him in, keeping the game scoreless.

Then, the Rams (6-3) engineered their big inning, scoring four runs on five hits to take a 4-0 lead.

Skylar Gonzalez grabbed the final two outs of the frame after relieving Wolf, who suffered his first loss of the year.

Wolf’s final line showed three runs on three hits in 5.1 innings pitched. He struck out four and walked two, as his record dropped to 2-1 on the year.

Trailing, 4-0, the Mountaineers were able to grab a run in the top of the ninth when Tyler DeMartino drove in Ryan Archibald, cutting the deficit to three. That, however, was all WVU could muster in the setback.

Six different Mountaineers tallied hits in the loss. Along with Wolf and Gonzalez, Dillon Meadows also entered the contest, tossing two scoreless frames while striking out four.

Next up, the Mountaineers return to action Saturday at 2 p.m. for the second game of the Central Virginia Challenge when they travel to William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va.

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