RICHMOND, Va. - The VCU Rams scored the first eight runs of the game and survived a late VMI rally to edge the Keydets, 8-5, in non-conference action Tuesday in Richmond, Va. The game lasted over four hours due to two weather delays, the last of which caused the game to be called after seven innings.

The Keydets (18-27) cut an 8-0 lead to 8-5 with a five-run uprising in the seventh that included a two-run single by Matt Dunlevy, but shortly before Matt Pita stepped to the plate to start the eighth, the skies opened and the rains came. The significant amount of rain caused the game to be called.

Jonathan Ebersole (4-2) was the winning pitcher for VCU (28-14), as he allowed just one hit over three scoreless innings of relief. Starter Micah Gorman (0-4) allowed two unearned runs in two innings and took the loss for VMI.

VCU jumped out to a 2-0 lead with two unearned runs in the second, and then scored five times in the third. A RBI single for Darian Carpenter made it 3-0, and then two errors opened the door to four unearned runs off Brandon Barbery that made it a 7-0 contest. The final two runs came after a 37-minute delay due to weather.

A RBI single for Haymaker made it 8-0 in the fourth, and it remained that way until the seventh. Pita led off with a single and Jacob Jaye followed with a single, extending his hitting streak to 10 straight games. Two outs later, Garrett St. Laurent walked and Will Malbon was hit by a pitch to end the shutout. Nathan Eaton then hit a hard ground ball to third base that Mitchel Lacey dove for, knocked down and threw wildly to first base, allowing two runs to score to make it 8-3. Dunlevy then followed with a two-run single to make it 8-5, and account for the final margin.

Offensively, the Keydets scattered their five hits among multiple players. Haymaker and Mickelson had two hits apiece to lead VCU.

VMI baseball will return to action Friday, when the Keydets travel to Johnson City, Tenn. to take on ETSU. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.