NCAA Greenville Regional
Score: VCU 1, #22 Wake Forest 0
Location: Greenville, N.C. (Clark-LeClair Stadium)
Records: VCU 38-21, Wake Forest 38-21
 
The short story: Senior Christian Gordon pitched a masterpiece into the eighth inning, and sophomore reliever Brian Curley slammed the door shut as third-seeded VCU toppled second-seeded Wake Forest Friday on the opening night of the Greenville NCAA Regional.
 
LEADING OFF

• Gordon's performance was one of the best by a VCU pitcher in recent memory. The lefthander shut out the Demon Deacons, the nation's 25^th-ranked scoring offense, for a career-high 7 2/3 innings. Gordon (8-2) held Wake Forest to just two hits and walked only one, while striking out a career-high 13 in a masterful 106-pitch effort
• Curley worked out of a jam in the ninth to preserve the shutout and earn his third save of the season
• Senior centerfielder Cooper Benzin drove in the only run of the game with his ninth sacrifice fly of the season for the Rams
• Graduate DH Eli Weisner singled, stole a base and scored VCU's run
• Wake starter David Falco Jr. (2-5) took the loss. He struck out 10 in 4 2/3 innings 

THE STRETCH

• VCU scratched across the only run of the game in the top of the fifth. Weisner led off with a single – the Rams' first hit of the game – and later stole second. Redshirt junior left fielder Jake Thilges singled up the middle to put runners on the corners with one out. Benzin followed and lined a fly ball into left field that was deep enough to score Weisner easily
• Curley entered with a runner on and two outs in the eighth and promptly retired the first batter he faced. In the ninth, the first two Demon Deacons batters reached via a walk and single, respectively. After a mound visit from VCU Head Coach Bradley LeCroy, Curley settled down and retired the next three batters in order to clinch the win
• Just two baserunners reached second base against Gordon Friday. Wake Forest had been shut out just once this season prior to Friday's contest

NEXT UP
VCU advances to the winner's bracket, where they'll face off with third-seeded Evansville – which knocked off top seed and host East Carolina earlier Friday – at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Clark-LeClair Stadium.