University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Penn St
Baseball Splits Doubleheader Against Penn State
03/16/2002 | Baseball
March 16, 2002
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - The University of Richmond baseball team used nine hits to capture a 4-3 win in game one of a doubleheader against Penn State but the Nittany Lions responded with a 7-2 win in game two to gain a split in college baseball action at Pitt Field.
Junior left fielder Vito Chiaravalloti went 3-8 with two RBI and one run scored in the twin set. With two hits in the first game and one in the second contest, the Middletown, N.J. native extended his hit streak to 15 games. He belted a two-run homer, his team-high fourth of the season, to account for both runs in the 7-2 loss.
It was one of only four hits Richmond had against Penn State starter Josh Palm (6.1 IP) and reliever Tyler Wingerd (2.2 IP) in the second game. Palm earned his first collegiate win and Wingerd earned his first collegiate save for the Nittany Lions.
GAME 1
After Tim Stauffer retired the side in order to begin the first game, the Spiders put a run on the board when Matt Craig singled sharply up the middle and plated Bryan Pritz who had walked to start the first.
The Nittany Lions tied the game in the third with three consecutive singles up the middle. With runners on first and second, Mike DeRenzo singled up the middle, scoring Arin Gelletly, but when Brett Showalter attempted to score Pritz threw a strike to catcher Adam Tidball who blocked the plate and tagged out Showalter.
The Spiders answered with two runs in the bottom of the third to take a 3-1 lead. After one out, David Reaver singled to center and was followed by a line drive home run from Craig that sailed over the left center wall. It was Craig's third homer of the year.
Sophomore Chris Dolan belted his second home run of the season into the left field trees in the sixth and gave the Spiders a 4-1 lead.
The Nittany Lions rallied for two runs in the seventh but a stand by Stauffer stopped any further damage. Three hits began the frame, including an RBI double from Clint Eury. Matt Harter followed with a single through the left side that scored Eury and closed the game to 4-3. With runners on second and third and no outs, Stauffer struck out the next two batters and induced a fly out to end the inning.
Sophomore Matt McLoughln relieved Stauffer in the ninth and earned his first collegiate save. After allowing a one-out hit, McLoughlin forced a ground out and a fly out to John Cronin in right to end the game.
Stauffer improved to 6-0 on the season after working 8.0 innings and allowing three runs on nine hits. He struck out 11. Craig went 3-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Chiaravalloti stroked the Spiders' other multiple-hit game, going 2-4.
Penn State's Clint Eury went 3-4 with an RBI and one run scored. Starter Mike Watson (2-2) suffered the loss after allowing four runs on nine hits in 7.0 innings.
GAME 2
In the second game, Penn State took the lead with a run in the second. Mike Milliron singled to center field and scored on an Adam Warchal double to right. Penn State scored a run without a hit in the fifth and took a 2-0 lead. Warchal walked, moved to second on a Arin Gelletly walk, to third on a balk and scored on a Mike DeRenzo ground out.
Penn State added two more in the sixth to take a four-run lead. Clint Eury singled and scored on a Matt Harter double down the left field line. Harter later scored by stealing home on a double steal where Milliron forced a run-down between first and second.
The Spiders struck back and cut the lead in half, 4-2, with a two-run home run by Chiaravalloti in the sixth. It was Chiaravalloti's fourth home run of the season and extended his career-long hit streak to 15 games.
A Wes Reohr three-run shot over the left center wall put the Nittany Lions in front 7-2 in the ninth.
Spider starter Jason Bolinski (2-1) threw 5.1 innings and allowed four runs on six hits in his first collegiate loss.
Richmond hosts George Mason at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19 and Radford at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20.
