University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Liberty
No. 21 Baseball Falls At Liberty, 7-5
05/01/2002 | Baseball
May 1, 2002
LYNCHBURG, Va. - Liberty scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth to snap a 5-5 tie and held on for a 7-5 win against the University of Richmond at Worthington Stadium in Lynchburg, Va. The winning run came home on a wild pitch and a Keith Butler double plated the insurance run.
Liberty reliever Jonathan Schneider improved to 1-2 after throwing 1.2 innings. Spider reliever Matt McLoughlin fell to 4-1 with the loss, allowing three runs on three hits.
Richmond starter Jason Bolinksi suffered through the first, allowing four runs on three hits and three walks. Steve Baker, Shane Miller, Marcus Maringola and Matt Hagen delivered RBIs in the frame for Liberty. Bolinski settled and held the Flames scoreless over the next four innings on one hit.
In the top of the fourth, junior Vito Chiarvalloti belted his team-high 16th home run and started a three-run rally to bring the Spiders within one, 4-3. A.J. Board later ripped a two-out single to plate Brian Ruscello and Michael Galligan.
The Spiders (38-8) tied the game with a Chiravalloti sac fly to center that scored David Reaver. Reaver led off the frame with a single through the left side. Chiaravalloti finished the day 2-2 with two RBI and one run scored.
Liberty (24-19-1) mounted trouble in the sixth when a Jeff Haines single and Keith Butler double chased Bolinski with two outs. McLoughlin came on and retired the Flames' top hitter, Kelly Knouse (.423), on a grounder that Ruscello made a diving play to stab.
Steve Horstam retired the first nine Spiders he faced out of the Liberty bullpen and kept the game tied 4-4 into the bottom of the seventh. The Flames regained the lead when Joey Monahan doubled and scored on a Shane Miller single to right center.
The Spiders loaded the bases in the eighth with one out. Freshman Jim Fasano pinch-hit and popped out to second for out number two. Sophomore Chris Dolan lined a single up the middle that scored Craig to tie the game at 5-5 but Chiaravalloti was gunned down at the plate attempting to give Richmond the lead.
Liberty's Matt Hagen led off the eighth with a single and worked his way around to third. He scored when reliever Andy Givens threw a wild pitch, giving the home squad a 6-5 lead. A Butler double to deep center scored pinch runner Israel Noble to open the lead to 7-5.
Richmond and Liberty will play again at 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 2 at Pitt Field.
