University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
*Massachusetts
Ninth-Inning Comeback Squandered By UMass; Spiders Fall In Ten, 11-9
04/01/2006 | Baseball
April 1, 2006
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - The Spider baseball squad fought back from an 8-0 deficit in the first inning to tie it at 9-9 in the ninth, but costly plays in the top of the 10th helped UMass score two for the win, 11-9, Saturday at Pitt Field. Richmond, now 8-16 overall and 2-3 in the A-10, has dropped all three extra-inning ballgames this season. The Minutemen, who scored eight in the first inning off Spider starter freshman Ian Marshall, moved to 3-12 on the season and 1-4 in conference. The two teams wrap up the three-game set Sunday at Pitt Field in a game scheduled for noon. Sophomore Alex Hale will make the first A-10 Conference start of his career, opposite David Sullivan for Massachusetts.
A two-out grand slam put the finishing touches on an eight-run first for the Minutemen off Ian Marshall. The freshman was pulled following the four run shot after giving up five hits and one walk. Senior Ja Jones came on in his relief and pitched 4.1 scoreless into the sixth. The Brunswick, Ga., native allowed four hits and four walks, struckout four and stranded six baserunners.
The Spiders rallied with a two-spot in the first thanks to a run-scoring double-play and a two-out single into right from senior Andrew Justice. After Jones stranded two in the top of the second, Richmond pushed four more across in its half. Junior Matt McKenna led off the inning with a homer to left. Sophomore Austin Reilly reached on an error and later scored on a single from junior Vince Riggi. Sophomore Joe Mahoney followed with an RBI-single through the right side before freshman Cameron Brown drove in a run with a sac-fly to left.
Richmond went scoreless over the next four, while senior Wyatt Stewart, freshman Kyle Damm and sophomore Brian Alas combined to limit the Minutemen offense to one run over four. Stewart relieved Jones in the sixth and went on to give up an unearned run on one hit and a walk, while striking out three.
The Spiders got the run back in the bottom of the seventh on a sac-fly RBI from Riggi. Junior Benji Marshall scored from third after singling then moving two bases on two wild pitches. Damm then came on to continue the earned run shutout by the Spider bullpen. The Hamilton Square, N.J., native struckout one in 1.1 innings, while giving up just two hits.
Richmond kept chipping away in the eighth with another leadoff homerun, this time from Justice. Damm allowed the leadoff man to reach as well as a sac-bunt to move him over in the ninth before giving way to Alas. The Port Washington, N.Y., native forced two fielder's choice groundouts to get out of the inning, trailing by one.
With one out in the ninth, Riggi doubled to right-center, giving freshman Chris Vargo the opportunity to pinch run. After Mahoney flew to left for the second out. Brown singled up the middle for the game-tying RBI which sent the contest into extra innings.
Alas allowed a lead-off single in the 10th, but got a fielder's choice force out at second in the next at-bat. After UMass' Lou Proietti stole second, Bryan Adamski reached on a fielder's choice while Proietti beat a throw to third to put runners at first and third with one out. Brian Garrity hit a hot shot up the middle off the foot of Alas allowing the go-ahead run to score. In an attempt to make a play, Benji Marshall threw the ball away at first, giving Adamski third base and runners again at first and third with one out. Joe Cotone followed with a sac-squeeze to get the unearned insurance run across, before Alas fanned Andy Tuetken to end the inning.
McKenna reached first in the 10th after getting hit, but a flyout and double-play ended the hopes of another rally for the Spiders.
The two teams will return to Pitt Field Sunday, April 2, for the final game of the series. Sophomore Alex Hale (2-1, 3.72 ERA) will make his first Atlantic 10 Conference start for the Spiders, while David Sullivan (0-3, 5.59 ERA) will get the nod for the Minutemen. First pitch is set for noon.
Game Notes:
-- Richmond's two homeruns mark the second time this season the Spiders have hit multiple homers in one game.
-- The Spider bullpen, which took over the game with two outs in the first, did not allow an earned run until the 10th inning.
-- Freshman Cameron Brown has now hit safely in a career-best 10-straight games. He also currently has a streak of four multi-RBI games.
-- Sophomore Joe Mahoney extended his season-best hit streak to eight games with an RBI-single in the second.
-- Junior Vince Riggi has recorded three-straight multi-hit games since being inserted into the lineup, March 29, against William & Mary. The Saratoga Springs, N.Y., native is a combined 6-for-11 with five runs scored and six driven in since the game against the Tribe.
-- Senior Ja Jones has allowed just one earned run over his last 11.1 innings of work, dating back to March 16 against Quinnipiac. In that span he has allowed nine hits and eight walks while striking out nine.
