MERION STATION, Pa. – A three-run first inning got things going early on Friday as the Saint Joseph's baseball team topped VCU, 5-3, at Smithson Field.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
• Saint Joseph's (11-14 overall, 3-1 Atlantic 10) got off to a fast start, plating three in the bottom of the first.
Brett Callahan led off the game with a single before
Conlan Wall doubled to put runners on second and third with nobody out.Â
Ryan Cesarini followed with a double of his own to give the Hawks a 2-0 lead.
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• After consecutive walks to
Nate Thomas and
Ryan Weingartner,
Ryan Picollo hit into a fielder's choice that allowed Cesarini to score and push the lead to three.
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• VCU (16-14 overall, 2-2 Atlantic 10) got two back in the top of the second on a bases-loaded walk by Nic Ericsson and a single by AJ Mathis.
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• In the bottom of the fifth, three consecutive singles off the bats of Wall, Cesarini, and Thomas loaded the bases for Weingartner, who hit a sacrifice fly to make it a 4-2 game.Â
Justin Igoe followed with a single to score Cesarini and extend the margin back to three.
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• The Rams struck again in the top of the eighth on an RBI groundout by Will Carlone, but that would be it for the day.
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BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
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Will McCausland improved to 3-1, earning the win after allowing two runs on four hits in six innings and striking out six. Christian Gordon took the loss, falling to 2-2 after allowing three runs on three hits in one inning.Â
Matt McShane tossed the final three innings, allowing a run in three hitless innings of relief, to notch the save.
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• After the difficult second inning, McCausland settled in and retired the final 14 batters he faced to get the Hawks through the sixth.
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• VCU received a strong outing from Brendan Erka, who came on in the second inning and tossed seven innings of two-run relief, scattering five hits.
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• Cesarini and Wall both had two-hit games with two runs scored apiece, while Cesarini drove in two as well.
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UP NEXT
The teams will play the second game of the weekend series on Saturday. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
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