RICHMOND, Virginia -- The Red Foxes dropped the first game of a weekend series at the Virginia Commonwealth Rams on Saturday by a final score of 3-0. The loss drops Marist to 2-5 (0-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) while the win brings VCU to 4-4 (0-0 Atlantic 10 Conference).

Junior Tyler Kirkpatrick led the Red Foxes with a 1-for-3 effort at the plate. Sophomore Andrew Rouse and senior co-captain Matt Pagano each chipped in one hit as well. The Red Foxes totaled three hits on the afternoon. Junior Sean Keenan started his third game of the season and picked up his first loss of 2016, throwing seven innings, while giving up two runs on 10 hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Sophomore Mike Coss threw less than one inning giving up one run on one hit and junior Ryan Thomas threw one inning giving up no runs on no hits.

Junior Darian Carpenter led the Rams, going 1-for-3 with a home run and one run batted in. Four VCU players had two hits a piece while the team totaled 11 on the afternoon.

The Rams got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning when Carpenter led off the inning with a solo home run to left center field.

The Red Foxes had a chance to tie the game in the top of the seventh as senior co-captain Joey Aiola walked with one out and advanced to second on a wild pitch. However, a strike out and fly out by the next two batters ended the threat.

In the bottom of the inning, VCU added to their lead when senior Cody Acker singled to second base, followed by a single to left by freshman Brody Cook advanced Acker to third. A great throw by Pagano to Aiola at second nailed Cook, who was trying to stretch the hit into a double and the Rams had a man on third with one out. A ground out by senior Walker Haymaker scored Acker and VCU was ahead 2-0.

Following a Marist pitching change, bringing in Coss, the Rams added a third insurance run in the bottom of the eighth as junior Logan Farrar singled up the middle. Carpenter reached on an error by the third baseman and VCU had men on the corners with no outs. A pinch hitter came in for the Rams, followed by a Red Fox pitching change, bringing in Thomas, who got the first batter to ground into a 4-6-3 double play that scored Farrar from third.

Marist had their last chance to tie it in the top of the ninth but the Red Foxes went 1-2-3, giving the Rams the 3-0 victory.

Up next for the Red Foxes is game two of the weekend series at VCU on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 2 PM.