University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
*George Washington
George Washington Edges Spiders In Rubber Game Sunday, 4-3
05/14/2006 | Baseball
May 14, 2006
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - George Washington scored four runs in the seventh to take its first lead of the game, and kept the Spiders off the board the rest of the way to take the rubber game of the A-10 Conference series Sunday at Pitt Field, 4-3. The Spiders drop to 21-30 on the season and 11-13 in the league, and now must win or sweep next weekend's series at St. Bonaventure and get help to advance to the A-10 Tournament.
Richmond starter freshman Ian Marshall was superb in his seventh start of the season, not allowing a hit until the third while retiring 10 of the 12 he faced.
The Spiders, who stranded a runner in the first and second, took the lead in the third after three-straight one-out singles. Senior Ben Zeskind and junior Alex Wotring both garnered singles to the rightside, before sophomore Joe Mahoney hit a lazer up the middle to plate Zeskind.
Marshall worked into the fourth and had two down before lightning was spotted and teams were ordered off the field. After a 3:23 minute rain delay play resumed with Richmond leading 1-0 and two outs in the top of the fourth. Freshman Kyle Leith came on in relief after the delay and got the final out in the fourth. Marshall worked 3.2 innings in the rain-shortened start, allowing one hit and a walk.
Leith went on to work into the seventh after allowing singles in the fifth and sixth, but forcing a double-play in the fifth and stranding the runner in the sixth.
Richmond added to its lead in the sixth. Mahoney led off the inning with a single to right. Freshman Cameron Brown then reached on an error after attempting to sac-bunt Mahoney to second. Sophomore Hank Coogan came through with the second RBI of the day when he singled to left. A fielder's choice by junior Vince Riggi put runners at first and second with one out, before junior Matt McKenna singled through the left side for the third run.
Leith got into trouble in the seventh after striking out the leadoff hitter. Two-straight singles and a passed ball gave GW its first run of the game, before a costly error on freshman Victor Croglio prolonged the inning. With a runner at first, GW's Chris Marsicano hit a groundball to Croglio, but before he could flip it to second of the force, he bobbled it to allow both runners to be safe. The next hitter doubled in the Colonials' second run before the Spiders went to Junior Benji Marshall out of the bullpen. Marshall got the first batter he faced to swing at strike three, marking what should have been the final out. The next hitter Benji Marshall faced singled to left scoring the game-tying and go-ahead runs from second and third, both of which were unearned.
After the seventh, Benji Marshall did not allow a baserunner past first holding the Colonials to their 4-3 lead. The Spiders got their leadoff hitter on each of the last three innings, but could not produce the runs needed against GW's Pat Lehman, who earned the win, 4-3.
The Spiders will play their final non-conference game this Tuesday, May 16, at Liberty in a contest slated for 2 p.m. Richmond then hits the road for its final Atlantic 10 series of the season at St. Bonaventure, May 18-20. Game times in Olean, N.Y., are slated for 2 p.m. Thursday, 1 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday. In order for the Spiders to qualify for the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament, they must win or sweep their series at St. Bonaventure and have Duquesne (hosting George Washington), Charlotte (hosting Fordham) and Rhode Island (hosting UMass) win its' remaining series.
Game Notes
-- Senior Ben Zeskind finished the day 1-for-4 with a single. The senior is now four hits away from equalling the all-time career hit mark of 307 at Richmond.
-- The Spiders are 0-3 in games stopped by rain delays this season.
-- Sophomore Joe Mahoney finished the day 3-for-4 with two singles, a double and an RBI.
-- Freshman Ian Marshall allowed one hit and one walk over 3.2 innings in his start prior to the 3:23 rain delay.
-- Richmond has alternated wins and losses over the last 12 games, going 6-6.
