DAYTON – The University of Dayton baseball team scored eight runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, but the comeback fell just short, falling to VCU 9-8 on Sunday afternoon at Woerner Field at AES Ohio Stadium. Senior Jay Curtis picked up four hits, including a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth to bring Dayton within one run.
 
The Flyers entered the final inning down 9-0, but put up eight runs on four hits and three walks, also taking advantage of VCU miscues to climb all the way back. Dayton falls to 18-22, 6-9 in Atlantic 10 play with the loss. The Rams improve to 25-17, 10-5 against conference opponents.
 
Senior Marcos Pujols also went 3-for-5 on the afternoon, as the pair of seniors combined for eight hits and six RBIs against VCU on Sunday.
 
ON THE MOUND
Graduate student Kenny Serwa started the game for the Flyers, pitching the first six innings and allowing four earned runs while striking out three Rams. It marked the second-longest outing of the season for Serwa, who is up to 36 strikeouts this season in 39.1 innings.
 
Sophomore Parker Bard relieved Serwa in the seventh, allowing two earned runs on two hits in 1.1 innings. Bard pitched a scoreless seventh inning before junior Thomas Braybrooks entered in the eighth. Braybrooks finished the game allowing three hits in his 1.2 innings, picking up a strikeout.
 
SCORING PLAYS
Top 3: (1-0 Rams)
VCU homered on the first pitch of the inning to take a 1-0 lead in the third.
 
Top 5: (4-0 Rams)
A base hit to right center and a stolen base put a runner on second and no one out. An error on a sacrifice bunt scored the first run of the inning and a walk followed by a passed ball made it a 3-0 game. A base hit through the left side extended the deficit to 4-0.
 
Top 6: (6-0 Rams)
Serwa retired the first two batters of the inning, but back-to-back singles followed by a double made it 6-0.
 
Top 8: (9-0 Rams)
A home run led off the inning, and a one-out error and a base hit put two on with one out. Two more singles gave VCU their final runs of the game.
 
Bottom 9: (9-8 Rams)
Curtis led off the inning with a base hit to left. Freshman Mason Dobie reached on an error and freshman Lucas Adam singled to left to load the bases. Junior Alex Neff and graduate student Alexis Castillo worked bases-loaded walks to cut the lead to 9-2. After a fielder's choice, Pujols put a ball in the left center gap, plating two more runs to bring the deficit to just five. A strikeout and a walk to junior Jose Martinez put Curtis up with the bases loaded and on the first pitch he hit a towering home run over the left field fence to make it a one-run game. Dayton was unable to bring home the tying run, finalizing the score at 9-8.
 
UP NEXT
The Flyers will head to St. Bonaventure next weekend, continuing conference play with a three-game series against the Bonnies.