TYSONS, Va. – VCU won its fifth Atlantic 10 Baseball title Sunday, using a big fourth inning and strong platoon pitching to top Rhode Island, 9-1 at Capital One Park.

Third-seeded VCU (37-23) had to win back-to-back championship games, having won the consolation bracket Saturday, and then forcing the if necessary game Saturday evening in an 18-16 marathon win over Rhody (26-31). The black-and-gold Rams receive the A-10’s automatic bid to NCAA Regionals.

Nate Kirkpatrick gave VCU an early lead when he scored on a double play in the second, but the big bats came alive for VCU in the fourth when an Alec Warden single scored Nick Flores and Kirkpatrick. A Trent Adelman homer then drove Warden in, followed by an RBI single by the championship’s Most Outstanding Player Jacob Lee. Flores followed with another RBI single in his second at bat of the inning and the Richmond-based Rams added six runs for a 7-0 lead.

VCU used three pitchers who combined for eight hits and just one earned run with four strikeouts. Starter Fenix DiGiacomo went just one inning and allowed one hit and no runs. Dawson Newman (5-1) followed with three innings and also allowed a single hit and no runs in earning the win. Cooper Campbell, who also got the win Saturday night, picked up his third save of the year, allowing six hits and one run in five innings pitched.

Flores was 3-for-5 and Warden went 3-for-4 to lead VCU. Warden and Adelman each had two RBI. Ryan Thompson and All-Championship selection Reece Moroney each went 2-for-4 to pace Rhode Island.

Rhody got on the board with an RBI single from All-Championship selection Jack Hopko, but that proved to be URI’s only run. The Island State Rams stranded eight runners and totaled eight hits.

VCU added two more in the bottom of the eighth  when Michael Petite scored on an error and Lee scored on a Kirkpatrick single. A double play and a line out to right field in the top of the ninth secured VCU’s second title in the last three years.

Rhode Island starter Jake Cullen (3-5) took the loss, allowing four earned runs on five hits.

Joining Lee, Moroney and Hopko on the All-Championship Team were Dante DeFranco and Zach Peters from VCU, Scott Penney and Ryan King from Rhode Island, George Mason’s Evan Blanchard, Logan Rumberg and Jake Butler, and Cole Fehrman and Joey Pagano of Saint Joseph’s.