BASEBALL
EXTENDS STREAK WITH WINS OVER PACE,
MONMOUTH
game one box score
game two box score
3-17-01
RICHMOND, Va.. - Virginia Commonwealth
exploded for 11 runs in the bottom of the
eighth inning to break a tie game and
earn a 17-6 baseball victory over
Monmouth Saturday evening at The Diamond.
Earlier in the day, the Rams posted a 7-3
win over Pace to sweep a three-game
series with the visiting Setters.
Junior Brian Gillespie (Grafton,
W.Va./Potomac State JC) began VCU's
11-run barrage with a leadoff single off
Monmouth reliever Glen Keeton (0-3), and
senior Kevin Elrod (Mechanicsville,
Va./Lee-Davis) followed with a pinch hit
walk to put runners on first and second.
Junior center fielder Matt Davis
(Colonial Heights, Va./Thomas Dale) then
singled home pinch runner Tony Vaughan
(Prince George, Va./Prince George) to
give the Rams a 7-6 lead, and second
baseman Chris Gerrity (Midlothian,
Va./Midlothian) delivered a two-run base
hit immediately afterward for a three-run
cushion. VCU had nine hits off Hawks
pitching during the inning, which also
featured a bases-loaded triple by junior
Joe Jackson (Mineral, ddVa./Young Harris
JC.
Junior Davy Martin (Mechanicsville,
Va./Lee-Davis) improved his season record
to 2-2 with 1 1/3 innings of hitless
relief for the Rams (17-5), who have now
won 13 consecutive games this season and
are undefeated in their last 17 contests
at The Diamond dating back to last
season.
Monmouth took a 1-0 lead in the top of
the first on a run-scoring groundout by
Jeff Toth, but the Rams answered with
four runs in the bottom of the innning.
Junior shortstop Joshua Arteaga
(Homestead, Fla./Motlow State CC)
delivered a two-run single to give VCU
the lead, and came home onsenior catcher
Cory Bauswell's (Chesapeake, Va./Western
Branch) second home run of the season for
a 4-1 Rams' advantage. The Hawks roared
back with
five runs in the top of the fifth,
highlighted by a two-run homer by Greg
Landis, to go up 6-5, but VCU tied the
game in the bottom of the frame when
sophomore third baseman Robbie Gragnani
(Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) singled home
Bauswell.
Sophomore first baseman Danny Lopaze
(Lakeridge, Va./Potomac) led the way in
the Pace win with two hits and two RBI,
including a solo home run. Freshman
right-hander Matt Prendergast (Oakton,
Va./Oakton) notched his first career win
after allowing just six hits and two
earned runs over 6 1/3 innings, and
fellow rookie Justin Tatro (Chesterfield,
Va./Clover Hill) hurled 2 2/3 scoreless
frames to close out the contest.
VCU wraps up its homestand tomorrow when
the Rams again take on Monmouth. First
pitch is 2 p.m.
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