TYSONS, Va. – VCU exploded for 16 runs to claim the 2024 Atlantic 10 Championship, their fourth league title with a 16-1 win over No. 4 Richmond Saturday at Capital One Park.

The second-seeded Rams (37-21) claim the A-10’s automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals, which begin next week.

The game was a pitcher’s duel through the fourth inning, but William Bean’s leadoff double in the fifth started an offensive onslaught that included a triple by Cooper Benzin, a short fly to the right field line that Richmond’s Phil Bernstein almost made a spectacular sliding catch on. Benzin’s bloop triple drove in three runs, and the Rams batted around so that All-Championship selection Bean could bookend the inning with a three-run homer.

Both teams added a run in the eighth, Richmond (27-32) on a Jordan Jaffe RBI single and VCU on a Brandon Eike home run, the fifth of the five-day championship for the 2024 A-10 Championship Most Outstanding Player.

VCU put any doubt to rest in the top of the ninth with seven additional runs, with a three-run homer by Benzin, an RBI double by Eike an RBI single by Aden Hill and a two-RBI single from Jake Thilges.

Nick Cosentino (3-1) earned the win, with five innings of scoreless work, allowing three hits, and two walks and five strikeouts. He earned a spot on the All-Championship team for two starts and one win in the championship. Richmond’s Cole Hentschel (4-2) took the loss, allowing five runs on three hits.

Bernstein, Jaffe and Jack Aracamone each were named to the All-Championship team, as was pitcher Kyle Roche, who won two games for the Spiders earlier in the week. Aiden O’Keffe was 2-for-3 to lead the Spiders, while Bernstein, Jaffe and Aracamone also had two hits.

Hill had four hits to pace VCU, and Benzin had six RBI Saturday. In all, six Rams had two or more hits and five had two or more RBI.

Joining Eike, Cosentino, Bean and the Richmond contingent on the All-Championship Team were VCU pitcher Christian Gordon and designated hitter Eli Weisner as well as George Washington pitcher Michael Foltz. Saint Joseph's pitcher Ryan DeSanto and hitter Ryan Cesarini also were voted to the All-Championship team.