University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Delaware
Spiders Use Come-From-Behind Effort To Get First Win, 10-9
02/25/2006 | Baseball
Feb. 25, 2006
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Freshman Victor Croglio capped a six-run seventh inning for the Spiders with a grand slam to straight-away centerfield, helping Richmond pickup its first win of the season, 10-9, over Delaware (1-1) Saturday, Feb. 25 at Pitt Field. Richmond (1-4) will try for the series win Sunday, Feb. 26, at 1 p.m., as senior Derek Duclos (0-0, 15.43 ERA) gets the start for Richmond.
Delaware jumped out to a three-run lead in the second after Brian Hagerich drove in two with a homer to centerfield and Bill Merkler hit a solo shot to left. Richmond starter junior Rob Berzinskas later fell behind 5-0 in the fourth by allowing another two-run homer, this time from Brandon Menchaca.
The Spiders posted their first runs of the game in the bottom of the fourth when sophomore Hank Coogan launched his first-career homerun, a two-run shot to left which scored senior Andrew Justice from first.
Berzinskas was shown the door with two outs in the fifth, and finished the day by allowing seven runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out five. Sophomore Brian Alas came on in relief and allowed one of three inherited runners to score, but got out of a bases-loaded jam with a flyout to left.
Richmond pushed across another in the fifth after junior Alex Wotring walked to leadoff the inning and was followed by a double to right-center from senior Ben Zeskind. Justice then drove in the run with a groundout to the right side, making the score 7-3.
Alas, who finished the day allowing two runs on four hits and two walks, fanned one of his three total and got a groundball double-play in the sixth to keep the Blue Hens off the board.
After Delaware scored two in the top half of the seventh, the Spiders started the bottom half with a leadoff walk from sophomore Joe Mahoney. Justice, Coogan, junior Matt McKenna and freshman Cameron Brown all reached base after getting plunked, while both McKenna and Brown garnered RBI in their plate appearances. After the Blue Hens changed hurlers, Croglio came to the plate with the bases loaded and unleashed a shot to straight-away centerfield for his first-career homerun. The Fayetteville, N.Y., native, who had gone 2-for-15 until that at-bat, tied the game at 9-9 and eliminated a six-run Blue Hen lead.
Sophomore Alex Hale came on in the eighth for Richmond and struckout the side, giving the Spiders the momentum heading to the bottom half of the eighth. With one out Justice doubled down the leftfield line then moved to third on a flyout from Coogan. A wild pitch from Billy Harris, UD's fifth pitcher on the day, allowed Justice to score from third, marking the largest come-from-behind effort for the Spiders this season.
Hale retired three Delaware hitters in order in the ninth to earn his first win of the season in his first appearance of the season.
Richmond and Delaware will play the rubber-game of the three-game set Sunday at 1 p.m. at Pitt Field in Richmond, Va.
Game Notes:
-- Sophomore Victor Croglio each garnered the first homers of their careers.
-- Senior Victor Croglio now has a three-game hit streak.
-- Richmond's six-run come-from-behind effort is its largest of the season.
-- The Spiders are now 1-2 in one-run ballgames.
-- Junior Rob Berzinskas, who fanned five in the start, moved into ninth on Richmond's all-time career strikeouts list with 176.
-- Richmond has used five different batting orders in its five games this season.
-- Sophomore Hank Coogan set a career high with two runs scored and tied a career mark by driving in two.
-- Junior Andrew Justice set a career mark with three runs scored and tied a career high with three hits in the game.
-- The Spiders are now 17-9 all-time against the Blue Hens.
-- Sophomore Hank Coogan made his first start of the season behind the dish.
