University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Rhode Island
Rhode Island Edges No. 11 Baseball in Extra Innings, 5-3
04/06/2003 | Baseball
April 6, 2003
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Rhode Island broke a 3-3 tie with two runs in the top of the 10th to capture a 5-3 win against No. 11 Richmond at Pitt Field. The Spiders won the first two games of the series in a Saturday doubleheader.
The loss snapped Richmond's 17-game Atlantic 10, regular-season home win streak.
After a scoreless first, URI's Josh Nestor knocked in Justin Lamboy on a groundout to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. The Spiders tied the game in the fourth when junior Bryan Pritz (Wilmette, Ill.) singled, moved to third on two failed pick offs, and scored when senior Vito Chiaravalloti (Middletown, N.J.) grounded out to second. Pritz finished the day 3-6 with two runs scored and one RBI.
The Spiders (23-6, 6-2 A-10) took a 2-1 lead with a run in the sixth. Pritz singled and scored on a Chiaravalloti base hit through the left side. Rhode Island pinch-hitter John Maloney knotted the score in the top of the seventh when his sacrifice fly plated Lamboy who led off the frame with a bloop single. Lamboy went 3-5 and scored twice for the Rams.
The Rams had runners on first and second with one out in the eighth when right-hander Andy Givens (Bel Air, Md.) entered the game in relief. On his second pitch, Givens induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.
Nestor delivered the go-ahead knock in the ninth as he lifted an RBI single to centerfield that scored Adam Houston and gave the Rams a 3-2 lead.
Richmond tied the game in the bottom of the frame. Senior Michael Galligan (Woodbury, N.Y.) led off the ninth with a double to left field and later scored on a Pritz single. However, with the bases loaded and one out, Chiaravalloti fouled out and Ben Zeskind (Miami, Fla.) struck out to send the game into extra innings.
The Rams won the game with two runs in the 10th. D.J. Burns and Wayne Russo scored in the inning, while Matt Sullivan and Houston delivered the RBI. Richmond loaded the bases in their half of the inning but could not score.
Reliever Tom Venedam improved to 2-2 for Rhode Island, hurling the final 1.2 innings. Givens fell to 2-1 on the season after allowing three earned runs in 2.0 innings.
The Spiders return to action at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8 when they host James Madison.
