TYSONS, Va. – Third-seeded VCU got strong pitching following a weather delay and scored three eighth-inning runs to top No. 6 Davidson 7-4 Wednesday in the first round of the 2026 Atlantic 10 Baseball Championship at Capital One Park.

The Rams (33-22) advance to face No. 2 Richmond in the second round while Davidson plays an elimination game versus No. 4 George Mason. Due to severe weather Wednesday night, both games will be played Thursday, with Davidson-George Mason slated for 9:00 am and VCU-Richmond set for 4:00 pm.

Davidson (25-27) had a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when a storm forced a 1:14 delay. Coming out of the delay, VCU changed pitchers and Dawson Newman threw three inning of one-hit ball with five strikeouts. Zachary Peters (6-1) added two more innings of hitless performance with a strikeout to earn the win.

After Peters entered, the VCU offense came alive, providing three runs in the eighth on a Nate Kirkpatrick RBI single that plated Jacob Lee and an Alec Warden double down the left field line that drove in Kirkpatrick and Quinn Maher.

Four different VCU players, Dante DeFranco, Michael Petite, Lee and Kirkpatrick each had two hits and Kirkpatrick and Warden each had a pair of RBI.

Davidson got a first-inning solo homer from Anthony Torreso and added three more in the third on a pair of singles, one from Torreso and one from Jamie Daly, and a ground double play that scored a run.

VCU’s first-inning runs came on a double to right center by Teige Lethert and a Lee infield single.

Toresso and Freddy Diaz each had two hits to lead Davidson and Torreso had two RBI. Simon Yochum took the loss for Davidson, throwing 2.1 innings with six hits and three runs.