Baseball Atlantic 10 Conference

Davidson Bats Drive ?Cats into Semifinals with 7-3 Upset of VCU

BRONX, N.Y.—No. 6 Davidson used 11 hits, including a pair of home runs to earn a 7-3 upset win, its second of the Atlantic 10 Baseball Championship, over No. 2 VCU Thursday morning at Fordham’s Houlihan Park.

Davidson (27-24) advances to Friday’s semifinals, which will air live on ASN, to face the winner of No. 1 Rhode Island and No. 5 Fordham. VCU (37-18) falls into the consolation bracket and will play George Washington at 5:00 pm Thursday in an elimination game.

The Wildcats scored four runs in the first two innings, including a solo home run by Eric Jones. After the Rams scored three runs in the fourth and fifth to make the game close, a three-run Davidson eighth, highlighted by a monster two-run homer run by Will Robertson provided insurance for the ‘Cats.

Brian Fortier got Davidson’s first RBI with a double to score Max Bazin, and a sacrifice fly by Lee Miller scored Sam Foy gave the Wildcats a 2-0 lead. Jones’ home run and an RBI-single by Bazin doubled that lead to 4-0. Robertson scored on Bazin’s single.

Bazin was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI to lead Davidson. Batting seventh and eighth, Jones and Robertson each were 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI apiece, providing the bulk of the Wildcat offense.

VCU made it interesting with two runs in the fourth, starting with Jimmy Kerrigan’s hit to right field that scored Darian Carpenter. James Bunn then socked a ball into the right field corner and motored around to third for a triple, scoring Kerrigan. Carpenter scored again in the fifth on a single by Matt Davis, pulling the Rams within one.

Carpenter was 3-for-4 for VCU with two runs scored.  Bunn and Davis each and an RBI for the Rams.

But Davidson complicated VCU’s rally plans with a three-run eighth. Miller scored on a Jones single and then Robertson’s home run, which cleared the outfield fence by 20 feet and landed 10 rows up in the Fordham football stadium stands, drove Jones home.

Evan Roberts (3-4) got the win for the Wildcats, throwing 6 2/3 allowing eight hits and the three runs, all of which were earned. Josh Smutzer picked up his first save of the year for 2 1/3 innings of work in which he allow a single baserunner. Jonathan Ebersole (4-3) allowed six hits and four runs in taking the loss.