University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
La Salle
No. 23 Baseball Sweeps La Salle, 8-1, 17-2
05/04/2002 | Baseball
May 4, 2002
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Commanding pitching and efficient hitting led the University of Richmond to a sweep of an Atlantic 10 doubleheader - 8-1, 17-2 - against La Salle at Pitt Field. With the two victories, the Spiders (40-8, 18-2 Atlantic 10) reached the 40-win mark for the fourth time in program history.
Sophomore Tim Stauffer became Richmond's all-time leader for wins in a season (12) with an 8-1 victory in game one. The Saratoga Springs, N.Y. native allowed one run on five hits and tied his career-high with 13 strikeouts in raising his season record to 12-2. Sophomore shortstop Matt Craig went 2-4 with three RBI and one run scored. He belted his 14th homer of the season to highlight a three-run fifth that solidified the win.
In the second game, Richmond outhit La Salle 18-4 in a 13-2 win. Sophomore starter Thomas Martin improved to 4-0 after hurling 6.0 innings and allowing two runs on four hits and striking out seven. Sophomore Bryan Pritz went 4-5 with four runs scored and three RBI. Juniors Vito Chiaravalloti and David Reaver and sophomore Chris Dolan also collected multiple-hit games.
GAME 1
Richmond got on the board in the first when a Bryan Pritz. La Salle tied the game in the second when John Snyder doubled home Steve Harris who reached on an infield single. Stauffer then struck out the side.
Chris Dolan sixth home run of the season sailed over the left field wall and gave Richmond a 2-1 lead after two innings. Stauffer struck out the side again in the third and in the fourth.
Richmond scored three more in the fifth to take a 5-1 lead. Pritz and Matt Craig 14th home run of the season.
The Spiders crossed the plate three more times in the sixth to increase their lead to 8-1. Reaver and Craig delivered RBIs in the frame. Stauffer retired the Explorers in the seventh to earn his 12th win and 11th complete game of the season.
La Salle's Anthony Koehl slipped to 1-5 after allowing five runs on nine hits in 5.0 innings.
GAME 2
In the second game, Richmond started the scoring in the first with an unearned run when Pritz stole third and advanced home on an errant throw by the La Salle catcher. A Chiaravalloti single through the left side scored Reaver and gave Richmond a 2-0 lead after three.
Richmond strung together five consecutive hits in the fourth to score four runs. A. J. Board and John Cronin singled and scored on a Pritz doubled to the left center gap. After a Reaver single, Pritz and Reaver scored on a Craig bouncer past the first baseman. The Spiders led 6-0 after four innings.
A seven-run fifth inning broke the game open to 13-0. Reaver delivered a three-run double down the left field line and Ruscello added an RBI triple in the frame. Pritz drove in a run with a single and also scored in the inning.
The Explorers scored their only runs of the contest on a two-run blast from Steve Harris in the sixth. Richmond responded with a four-run sixth to equal a season-high for runs (17). A David Thomas RBI single and a Chiaravalloti three-run home run to deep center field accounted for the tallies.
The Spiders and Explorers will complete the three-game series at Noon on Sunday, May 5 at Shepherd Stadium in Colonial Heights.
