RICHMOND, Va. – The Holy Cross baseball team was swept by VCU in their season opening away series falling to the Rams 14-1 in seven frames in game one and 19-7 in game two in doubleheader action on Saturday at The Diamond.

Freshmen Jack Reyes, Lucas Ametrano, Bryan Sornas, Macade Maxwell, Carter Crowley, Henry Harding, Brady MacCutcheon, sophomore Aidan Gilbert and sophomore Brett Mulligan made their collegiate debuts in the contests while classmate Cayden Van Dolah made his first start at shortstop in game one.

GAME ONE: VCU 14, HOLY CROSS 1 – 7 INN.

STARTING ON THE MOUND:

• Hunter Gotschall: (W, 1-0), 3.0 innings pitched, zero hits allowed, zero earned runs, one walk, three strikeouts
• Sophomore Derek Volz: (L, 0-1), 1.1 innings pitched, four hits allowed, nine earned runs, three walks, zero strikeouts

OUT OF THE BULLPEN:

• Nick Frers: 2.0 innings pitched, zero hits allowed, zero earned runs, one walk, three strikeouts
• Sophomore Aidan Gilbert: 1.0 innings pitched, zero hits allowed, zero earned runs, zero walks, one strikeout.

STEPPING TO THE PLATE:

• Junior catcher Van Coughin: 1-for-2, double, RBI
• Sophomore designated hitter Nick Spaner: 1-for-3, run scored
• Junior first baseman Braden Connors: 1-for-3
• Nate Kirkpatrick: 2-for-3 home run, three RBI, two runs scored

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• VCU scored four in the first and six in the second to go ahead 10-0 early belting a trio of homers in the home half of the second.
• A single in the third brought home two and a pair of run scoring doubles in the fifth expanded the edge to 14-0.
• Coughlin pulled a double to left field to plate Spaner which put the Crusaders on the board late in the contest.

GAME TWO: VCU 19, HOLY CROSS 7

STARTING ON THE MOUND:

• Patrick Steitz: (W, 1-0), 5.0 innings pitched, two hits allowed, one earned run, one walk, five strikeouts
• Junior Thomas Skrobe: (ND), 1.0 innings pitched, one hit allowed, zero earned runs, zero walks, two strikeouts

OUT OF THE BULLPEN:

• Sophomore Pedro Leon (L, 0-1), 2.2 innings pitched, three hits allowed, five earned runs three walks, one strikeout.

STEPPING TO THE PLATE:

• Nick Spaner: 2-for-4, double, RBI
• Van Coughlin: 1-for-2, home run, two RBI, run scored
• Carter Crowley: 1-for-2, RBI
• Nate Kirkpatrick: 4-for-5, double, five RBI, three runs scored
• Nick Flores: 4-for-6, RBI, two runs scored, three stolen bases

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Senior center fielder CJ Egrie led off the game with a walk and came around to score off junior left fielder John LaFleur's sacrifice bunt for the 1-0 Crusader lead in the top of the first.
• Skrobe struck out a batter in an inning of work tossing 19 pitches.
• VCU tied the game in the third and then scored four in the fourth to lead 6-1 with a three RBI triple being a big blow during that stretch.
• A three run sixth expanded the hosts lead to 9-1.
• Coughlin belted a tater pulling Holy Cross within six, 9-3 in the seventh.
• A four run eighth inning for the Crusaders dropped the deficit to five, 12-7 as Crowley singled and Spaner doubled home a run.
• Seven runs in the eighth iced the game for VCU.

DUE UP:

• Holy Cross will be back in action next Friday, Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. beginning a four game set at FIU.

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