University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
!at The Citadel
Spider Baseball Tops The Citadel With Extra-Inning Rally, 5-2
02/20/2005 | Baseball
Feb. 20, 2005
CHARLESTON, S.C. - For the second time in three games the Richmond baseball squad used a come-from-behind effort to garner a win. The Spiders scored three runs in the top of the 10th inning, Sunday in Charleston, S.C., to outlast The Citadel, 5-2, at Riley Park. Richmond moves to 2-1 with the win, while the Bulldogs drop to 3-2 in 2005.
Freshman Joe White got the contest started with a double to right on the first pitch of the game. The Richmond, Va., native later scored in the top of the first on a single through the left side from freshman Joe Mahoney. White and Mahoney each finished the day with three hits for the Spiders and combined to score twice and drive in two.
Sophomore starter Rob Berzinskas kept The Citadel off the scoreboard through four innings and did not allow a hit in five complete innings of work. Berzinskas ended the day by surrendering two runs (one earned) on no hits, walked five and fanned six.
The Bulldogs took their lead in the fifth when Berzinskas walked the lead-off hitter who moved to second on a catcher's interference call. After a wild pitch and a groundout, The Citadel's John Stackley grounded out to drive in the Bulldogs' first run. An error on Richmond's sophomore Andrew Justice allowed the go-ahead run to score from third.
Justice redeemed himself in the top half of the sixth when he singled with one out and later scored on a single up the middle from freshman Drew Poiter. The Spiders stranded three over the next three innings, including the eighth when Justice was at third with two outs and Poiter struck out looking.
Freshman Brian Alas, who picked up his first career win Friday against Coppin State, came on in the sixth and retired nine of the next 15 he faced. In The Citadel's half of the ninth, a lead-off walk, a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk put runners at first and second with one out. After Alas fanned the next hitter, Will Coker lined a single into centerfield. Junior centerfielder Ben Zeskind charged the ball, picked it up and fired a lazer to freshman catcher Alex Hale, who tagged The Citadel runner at the plate to end the inning.
The Spiders used the play at the plate for scoring three runs on four hits and one error in the top of the 10th. Hale was responsible for the go-ahead RBI, his second of the season and team-leading fourth of the year, driving the first pitch he saw to leftfield.
Alas walked the lead-off hitter in the bottom of the tenth then struck out two of the next three to end the game and garner his second win of the weekend.
The Spiders return home to open an 11-game homestand at Pitt Field Wednesday, Feb. 23. Richmond will host VMI in a single game slated for 2 p.m. and admission is always free at Pitt Field.
Game Notes
- Sophomore Rob Berzinskas tied a career-low for hits allowed, shutting the Bulldogs out through five. His previous no-hit outing was against Ohio State, Feb. 28, 2004.
- Junior Ben Zeskind extended a nine-game hit streak, dating back to the end of 2004, with a one-out single in the third.
- Sophomore Andrew Justice recorded his first multi-hit game (2-for-4) since going 2-for-3 against Penn State March 23, 2004.
- Freshmen Joe White (3-for-6) recorded the first multi-hit games of their careers.
- Freshman Brian Alas picked up his second win of the season in as many appearances. He has yet to allow a run and has fanned seven in 6.1 innings of work.
