University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Virginia Tech
Rally Sends Contest To Extras; Spiders Fall In Twelve, 7-5
03/07/2006 | Baseball
March 7, 2006
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond baseball kept chipping away at Virginia Tech's early four-run lead, but could not overcome gap as Virginia Tech scored two in the 12th for a 7-5 win Tuesday at Pitt Field. The Spiders, who tied the game with a run in the eighth, fell to 3-9 on the season while the Hokies improved to 7-3. Virginia Tech scored four runs in the first and five over the first three, but Richmond battled back with a total of three in the seventh and eighth to tie the game.
Richmond starter, junior Ja Jones began the day on a rough note getting touched up for four runs on four hits and an error in the first inning. Jones then came back in the second and retired the side in order, giving the Spiders a chance in their half.
The Spiders seized the opportunity on an RBI-single from freshman Cameron Brown. Sophomore Joe Mahoney doubled to leadoff the inning then later scored from third on Brown's basehit. Jones, who ended his day by allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits in six innings, gave up the unearned run in the second after Sean O'Brien reached on an error by sophomore second baseman Austin Reilly. O'Brien later scored on a sac-fly to make the score 5-1 heading into the bottom of the third.
Richmond had only one baserunner in the third and fourth innings, before posting its second run of the game in the fifth. Junior Matt McKenna reached after getting hit to leadoff the inning. A walk, followed by a single from Reilly moved him to third with one out. Senior Ben Zeskind then came to the plate and hit a fly ball to left, deep enough to score the run in McKenna. Zeskind went on to record another sac-fly in the sixth as part of Richmond's two-run inning.
Jones moved through the fifth and sixth by retiring eight of the nine he faced, before being lifted for freshman Ian Marshall. Marshall, who made his first career appearance, came on in the seventh and retired six of the nine he faced, allowing one hit and fanning one in two innings of work.
With Marshall holding the Hokies at five runs, the Spiders inched their way closer in the seventh with an RBI single by Reilly and Zeskind's second sac-fly. In the eighth, Brown ledoff the inning by getting hit by a pitch and moved to second when sophomore Alex Hale reached on a error. A fielder's choice by McKenna moved Brown to the third, and put runners at first and third with one out. McKenna then tried a delayed steal which gave Brown the opportunity to race home for the game-tying run.
Hale then came on to pitch for the Spiders in the ninth and proceeded to fan a career-high five in three innings. He retired Virginia Tech in order in the ninth, but the Spiders failed to get a baserunner on until the 11th inning. Hale ledoff the inning with a single through the right side then moved to second on a single from sophomore Hank Coogan. Richmond couldn't get anything out of it as the next three went down in order.
Tech made Richmond pay for the blown chance in the 11th with two runs in the 12th off a total of three pitchers. Junior Lane Holby began the inning and gave up a leadoff walk, freshman Kyle Damm came on to allow two singles and an error which led to the game-winning runs. Senior Wyatt Stewart relieved Damm and got out of the jam by sitting the Hokies down in order, but the damage was done as Tech led 7-5.
Richmond could not fight back as Zeskind, Mahoney and Brown went down in order in the bottom half of the 12th to close the game.
The Spiders return to action this Saturday, March 11, at Pitt Field when they host Princeton in a doubleheader at noon. The Spiders and Tigers will then wrap-up the series with a single game Sunday, March 12, at 1 p.m.
Game Notes:
-- Sophomore Austin Reilly logged his first multi-hit game of the season.
-- Sophomore Alex Hale fanned a career-best five in three innings of relief.
-- Freshman Ian Marshall made his first career appearance.
-- Senior Wyatt Stewart, who did not allow two inherited runners to score in the 12th inning of today's game, has now stranded all six runners he has inherited this season.
-- The Spiders are 0-2 in extra-inning games this season.
-- Senior Ben Zeskind had his 10-game hit streak snapped, but has now driven in at least one in the last three games.
-- Sophomore Joe Mahoney and junior Benji Marshall each extended their hit streaks to five games.
-- In both of the Spiders' losses in extra innings, basehits up the middle have led to the winning runs -- the other coming from Nebraska in the bottom of the 12th inning in Charleston, S.C.
