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VCU got off to a rocky
start in its first game of the season vs the Pirates of East Carolina.
Game 1 of the opening day doubleheader was a 14-0 defeat for the Rams.
Pitching struggles and a complete lack of offense made for a quick ECU
rout. Everything
seemed ok at first. VCU struggled at their first inning at the plate,
but managed to get Nick Norwood on base via a full count walk. In the
bottom half, ECU's RJ Johansen led off with a 2-0 single, and pitcher
Chad Carter then buckled down and got the innings first out via a fly
out to left field. However, thats when things stopped going well.
Three hit batters and two walks later, ECU had 3 runs across and the
bases loaded. ECU catcher Dave Olsen then belted a shot to left-center
field for a grand slam. Carter then settled down and was able to
retire the next two batters, and pitched a much improved second
inning, despite giving up two more runs.
Jacob Allen came in to
relieve in the third, giving up a single run in that inning, and
finished the forth and final inning of defense for the Rams.
VCU was not able to
manage a hit, although they would have had one if not for an injury to
designated hitter James Hawkins. Hawkins hit a second inning ground
ball in the gap between short and third, and would have easily beaten
it out. However, a nagging hamstring injury forced him to pull up
halfway down the line, and would sideline one of VCU's top power
hitters for the remainder of the weekend. Walks by Norwood and Mike
Urbanski, and Juan Mojica reaching on error in the 5th would prove to
be VCU's only other offensive production for the game.
One bright spot was
that VCU committed no defensive errors. The only unearned run by ECU
was a passed ball early in the game. |
