University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
at Liberty
Flames Comeback To Top Spiders On The Road, 8-5
05/16/2006 | Baseball
May 16, 2006
LYNCHBURG, Va. - The Richmond baseball squad held two leads, Tuesday, May 16 against Liberty, but two come-from-behind efforts from the Flames gave the Spiders an 8-5 loss in Lynchburg, Va. The loss drops Richmond to 21-31 overall and wraps up its non-conference slate in 2006. The Spiders continue their season-ending road swing this weekend with a three-game Atlantic 10 set at St. Bonaventure.
Senior Ben Zeskind helped the Spiders post the go-ahead run in the third, when he singled to score junior Matt McKenna from third. McKenna led-off the inning with the Spiders' first basehit of the game, then advanced to second after freshman Victor Croglio was hit by a pitch. Junior Anthony Sandstrom got both runners in scoring position by laying down the sac-bunt.
Freshman Josh Horn, who made his third start of the season, allowed just one hit over the first two inning while stranding two. A two-out single from the Flames in the third began a string of three-straight hits including a double and homerun to give Liberty its first lead, 3-1.
Horn settled in to retire nine of the next 11 he faced into the sixth before Liberty posted its fourth run of the game in the last of the sixth. After the third, Richmond posted just two hits and stranded two into the seventh, trailing 4-1.
A hit-by-pitch and walk to leadoff the seventh inning helped the Spiders pull within one. Thanks to three wild pitches and a passed ball, Richmond scored twice without gaining a hit in the inning.
Junior Lane Holby came on in the sixth for Richmond and allowed just one of two inherited runners to score. The Atlanta, Ga., native came back out in the seventh and retired the side with four pitches, giving the Spiders a chance.
Zeskind led-off the eighth inning with his ninth homer of the season and second hit of the game, tying the contest at 4-4. The senior now needs just three hits in the remaining three regular-season games to become the all-time career hits leader at Richmond. A walk to junior Alex Wotring, single by sophomore Joe Mahoney, sac-bunt from freshman Cameron Brown and an intentional walk to sophomore Hank Coogan loaded the bases with one out. Junior Vince Riggi made them pay by driving in the go-ahead run with a single through the left side.
Holby could not get the same result as he did in the seventh, facing five more in the eighth and allowing three runs. Senior Wyatt Stewart and sophomore Brian Alas finished out the inning as the Flames sent 10 to the plate in the four-run come-from-behind inning. Richmond went quietly in the ninth for the final score of 8-5.
The Spiders continue their season-ending road swing this Thursday, May 18, when they travel to Olean, N.Y., to face St. Bonaventure. Game times for the final Atlantic 10 Conference series are slated for 3 p.m., Thursday, and noon on both Friday and 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 or sweep its' remaining series.
Game Notes
-- Senior Ben Zeskind finished the day 2-for-4 with a single and homerun. The senior is now two hits away from equalling the all-time career hit mark of 307 at Richmond.
-- Sophomore Joe Mahoney finished the day 3-for-4 with three singles.
-- Junior Vince Riggi garnered his sixth go-ahead RBI of the season with a run-scoring single in the eighth.
-- Senior Ben Zeskind hit his ninth homer of the season, and his second game-tying roundtripper in 2006.
