University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
*at La Salle
Zeskind And Duclos Lift Spiders To Series Tie At La Salle, 6-5
05/06/2006 | Baseball
May 6, 2006
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Senior Ben Zeskind's three-run homer in the ninth lifted the Spiders to a 6-5 win against La Salle Saturday in Philadelphia, Pa. Senior Derek Duclos came on in the ninth to strikeout one and induced a double-play to pick up his second save this season. Senior Jason Bolinski will look to extend the Spiders' A-10 series winning streak to four when he gets the ball in a 1 p.m. first pitch Sunday.
The Spiders took a 1-0 lead in the top half of the first after Zeskind tripled to the leadoff the game. Junior Alex Wotring was responsible for the go-ahead RBI when he hit a groundball to the right side allowing Zeskind to score.
A wild pitch from sophomore Alex Hale in the bottom of the first tied the game. The Omaha, Neb., native walked the leadoff hitter which came around to score before the end of the inning.
La Salle's starter Dan Waters retired each of the next seven he faced into the fourth, while Hale stranded a runner in the second, but allowed two in the third to give La Salle a 3-1 lead. The Spiders scratched out another run in the fourth when junior Vince Riggi grounded out with freshman Cameron Brown at third.
La Salle got one more in each of the fourth and fifth off Hale to make it 5-2. Hale finished his day going 8.0 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits and four walks while fanning seven. The righthander earned his team-best sixth win of the season after the Spiders came back to the win the game.
After the Spiders' run in the fourth, Waters went on to retire eight of the next 12 he faced into the eighth. Zeskind ledoff the eighth with a double forcing Waters out of the ballgame. The senior then came around to score on a single up the middle from sophomore Joe Mahoney of La Salle reliever John Reifsnyder.
Hale retired six-straight in the sixth and seventh, then got La Salle to strand three in the eighth to give the Spiders one last chance.
Freshman pinch-hitter Chris Vargo drew a one-out walk in the ninth, before freshman Victor Croglio singled to the hole at short. With two out and runners at first and second, Zeskind blasted a 2-2 slider over the rightfield wall to give the Spiders a 6-5 lead.
Duclos then came on in the ninth to record his second save of the season. The Exton, Pa., native hit the first batter he faced, but fanned the next hitter who was trying to bunt the runner over. The righthander then induced a groundball to the left side, which Brown relayed on to sophomore Austin Reilly at second then on to Mahoney at first to end the game.
Richmond will look to extend its Atlantic 10 series win streak to four-straight Sunday at Hank DeVincent Field in Philadelphia, Pa. First pitch against the Explorers is set for 1 p.m.
Game Notes
-- Richmond's last at-bat win was their third of the season.
-- Richmond's come-from-behind win was its 11 of the season and fifth in A-10 play.
-- Senior Ben Zeskind's homer in the ninth, his team-leading seventh of the season, marked his first game-tying bomb in 2006 and his fourth go-ahead dinger this season.
-- Senior Ben Zeskind's recorded three hits in the contest to pull within 14 of the all-time hits record of 208 at Richmond.
-- Senior Ben Zeskind's triple in the first inning moved him into a tie for the all-time lead in career triples at Richmond with 12.
-- Senior Ben Zeskind's was a single away from hitting for the cycle.
-- Freshman Victor Croglio was one of two to record multi-hit games for the Spiders.
