May 15, 2009

FIVE-RUN FIRST TOO MUCH TO OVERCOME AS RAMS FALL TO DELAWARE, 9-4
Box Score

NEWARK, Del. – A five-run first inning by the Fightin’ Blue Hens of the University of Delaware proved to be too much for the Virginia Commonwealth University baseball team to overcome in a 9-4 loss on Saturday afternoon.

The Rams battled back numerous times and had runners on in all but two innings, but Brad Miller and Corey Crispell were able to hold the lead and pick up the victory in game two of the three-game Colonial Athletic Association series.

“It’s tough to come back from an early hole like that, but I thought our guys battled some and were able to string a few rallies together,” Head Coach Paul Keyes said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to put up a big inning like they did, that was the difference in the game.”

With the loss, VCU drops to 20-25 overall and 8-15 in CAA play, while Delaware improves to 26-18 and 10-10 in conference action.

Freshman Josh Alford (Midlothian, Va.) got the Rams offense going in the first with a one-out double down the right field line. Senior Justin Wright (Yorktown, Va.) followed by smoking a single into left field to plate Alford and give VCU an early 1-0 advantage.

Delaware didn’t allow the Black & Gold to enjoy the lead long. After a one-out walk to Ryan Cuneo, Chris Nehl sent a two-run home run down the right field line to give the Fightin’ Blue Hens a 2-1 lead.

Three walks, two hits and one hit batsmen plated three more runs for Delaware and pushed the score to 5-1 after one inning of play.

Solo home runs by Nehl, in the second inning, and Cuneo, in the fourth inning, extended the advantage to 7-1.

Miller, the Fightin’ Blue Hens starter, cruised into the sixth, allowing just four hits and striking out six.

Wright would ignite a Black & Gold rally in the top of the sixth with a leadoff single into right field and freshman Brent Mikionis (Powhatan, Va.) followed with a long RBI double into right-centerfield. Two batters later, redshirt sophomore Joe Van Meter (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) brought Mikionis home with an RBI single into left field that brought VCU within four at 7-3.

Freshman Taylor Perkins (Dinwiddie, Va.) drew a one-out walk and junior Andrew Dimino (Greenwood, Ind.) moved him to second with a single into centerfield to start a Rams rally in the top of the seventh.

That proved to be the end of the day for Miller, but Crispell came in and induced a double-play to get out of the inning and preserve the four-run cushion for Delaware.

After a rocky start to the game, freshman Ryan Crosby (Broad Run, Va.) settled in, allowing just one run and two hits between the third and sixth innings.

Scott Shockley would finally halt Crosby’s momentum with a one-out, two-run home run over the right field wall that extended the advantage to 9-3.

In the top of the eighth, senior R.J. Schenk (Yorktown, Va.) was hit by a pitch with two outs and moved to third on a single by Van Meter. However, Crispell was able to get out of the jam once again with a groundout.

For the third straight inning, VCU would have at least two runners on in the ninth after a hit-by-pitch of Dimino and a two-out single by Alford. Wright came through with his fourth hit of the day, a double down the right field line, to plate Dimino and make the score 9-4. Crispell was able to get a game-ending strikeout to pick up his third save of the year.

Crosby (3-3) posted his second longest outing of his career with seven innings, while striking out two and scattering nine hits. Miller (4-5) tossed 6.1 innings, allowing eight hits and three earned runs for the Fightin’ Blue Hens.

Offensively, Wright was the story, tying a career-high with four hits on the afternoon, along with two RBIs and one run scored. Dimino, Alford and Van Meter all had multi-hit afternoons as well, each posting two hits for the Rams.

The Rams and Fightin’ Blue Hens conclude their three-game set with a 1 p.m. series finale on Saturday afternoon at Bob Hannah Stadium.