VCU Rams

February 23, 2009

FRESHMAN DUO QUIETS UCF OFFENSE AS RAMS DOWN KNIGHTS, 8-3
Crosby, Pelchy hold UCF to just six hits, three runs

Box Score

ORLANDO, Fla. – Heading into Monday’s finale with UCF, the Virginia Commonwealth University baseball team knew how good both Ryan Crosby (Broad Run, Va.) and Kyle Pelchy (Yorktown, Va.) were during intrasquad scrimmages.

“For most of the preseason, they were both two of our best arms,” Head Coach Paul Keyes said. “We hoped that it would translate into the games, but with freshmen you never know. I guess we got our answer today.”

That was answer was an emphatic yes as the freshman duo held a potent UCF (2-2) offense to just six hits and three runs en route to an 8-3 victory for the Rams (2-2).

Freshman Josh Alford (Midlothian, Va.) would start a Rams rally in the top half of the first, reaching on a two-base error and moved to third when junior Doug Otto (Jefferson City, Mo.) smacked a single into centerfield. Sophomore Joe Van Meter (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) brought Alford home with an infield single as VCU grabbed a 1-0 advantage.

In his first collegiate start, Crosby was greeted by Austin Smith who singled on the Crosby’s second pitch and stole second two pitches later. After Crosby got back-to-back outs, Chris Duffy sent an RBI single into right field to plate Smith and even the score at 1-1.

Senior Carlos Rodriguez (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico) kept the Black & Gold offense rolling in the top of the second as he smashed a single into the left field corner to lead off the frame. Two outs later, junior Andrew Dimino (Greenwood, Ind.) joined Rodriguez on the bases with a hit by pitch. Alford brought Rodriguez home with an RBI single into right-centerfield to give VCU a 2-1 advantage.

Crosby settled in nicely until the bottom of the third when Colin Arnold sent a solo home run over the right field wall to even the game at 2-2 after three innings.

Junior Matt Leskiw (Plains, Pa.) led off the top of the fourth with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by classmate Richard Gonzalez (Caguas, Puerto Rico) . A walk and a single later, senior R.J. Schenk (Yorktown, Va.) smashed a two-run, two-out single into left field to plate Leskiw and Alford to give VCU a 4-2 lead.

Senior Justin Wright (Yorktown, Va.) helped the Rams extend the lead with a one-out double into right-centerfield. Rodriguez brought Wright home on the next pitch with an RBI single through the right side to push the Black & Gold lead to 5-2.

UCF would get to Crosby in the bottom of the fifth by loading the bases with one out, but the newcomer buckled down and only allowed a sacrifice fly to Arnold as the Knights got back within two at 5-3.

VCU responded right away as Gonzalez reached on a single and moved to second when Smith bobbled the ball in centerfield. Two outs later, Otto delivered an RBI single up the middle to score Gonzalez and push the Rams lead back to three at 6-3.

Otto gave the Rams two more insurance runs in the top of the eighth as he crushed a two-RBI double into the left field corner to give VCU an 8-3 cushion headed into the final two frames.

”Doug came through in what I thought was one of the biggest spots of the game,” Keyes said. “If they are able to get out of that jam, they have might have more momentum coming up to the plate. Doug was able to battle and get a pitch he wanted. It was pretty much what he did all series long.”

Pelchy made sure that lead was safe tossing the final four innings for the Black & Gold, allowing only one run and striking out two en route to locking down VCU’s 8-3 win.

Once again the Rams put on an offensive display with 16 more hits, led by three apiece from Otto and Rodriguez. In all, six different players had at least two hits in the VCU victory.

On the weekend, VCU hit .367 as a team, scoring 26 runs and picking up 24 RBIs.

Crosby (1-0) picks up the win giving up just five hits in five innings of work, while striking out one. Pelchy gets his first collegiate save after giving up just one hit and no earned runs in four innings of work.

“I can’t say enough about those two guys,” Keyes said. “We needed a strong effort on the mound today and we got even more than that. They were outstanding. Both faced a couple jams and neither one of them backed down from the challenge.”

Brown (0-1) was saddled with the loss for the Knights after giving up four hits and two earned runs in two innings of work.

The Rams will travel back home to open up their 2009 home schedule with a visit from the Blackbirds of Long Island University. Game one of the four-game set is slated for Friday afternoon at 3 p.m.