University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Valparaiso
Baseball Wins For Fourth Time In Five Games; Takes Down Valpo 4-1
03/17/2007 | Baseball
March 17, 2007
Box Score |
Photos 
| Highlights 
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Junior Joe Mahoney had two hits, including a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning that proved to be the game winner as the Richmond baseball defeated Valparaiso 4-1 Saturday at Pitt Field.
The game was tied 1-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth when Mahoney launched a shot into the parking lot in right field for his fourth home run of the season and the 18th of his career. Mahoney, who finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scored, would also hit a triple and score in the seventh inning as the Spiders tacked on two more runs for the final outcome.
The Spiders won for the fourth time in the last five games and improved to 8-9 on the season.
"We came out and did what we needed to do to get the win," Richmond head coach Ron Atkins said. "Their pitcher threw well, we had some chances to score in the first few innings, but we didn't get the key hit. There are going to be days we hit the ball all over the yard and lose. Today we did what we had to do to win."
Richmond sophomore Josh Horn pitched 1 2/3 innings of one-hit scoreless relief to earn his first collegiate victory. Spider freshman lefty Matt Zielinski got the start, going five innings, allowing five hits and one run in the first inning. He struck out five and walked one.
"Matt gave us five strong innings," Atkins said. "He didn't have his best stuff today, but he made good pitches when he had to."
Junior Brian Alas earned his third save of the season and second in as many games. He went 2 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk, while striking out four. Alas came on for Horn with Richmond leading 2-1 with two outs and runners on first and third in the seventh. He got the first batter he faced to groundout to Mahoney at first to end the inning.
"Alas came in and shut them down," Atkins said. "He really did his job today."
Valparaiso took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Michael Arensdorff singled, advanced to second on a balk and scored on a double by Zach Rodeghero.
That's how the score remained until the fifth, when Richmond's Matt McKenna reached on a bunt single and scored on a two-out double by senior Benji Marshall to tie the game.
Mahoney's moon shot home run in the sixth gave Richmond the lead for good, but the Spiders added two insurance runs in the seventh.
Sophomore Victor Croglio doubled to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a passed ball. Junior Hank Coogan, who had his 12-game hitting streak snapped with an 0-for-3 performance, came through with a sacrifice fly to center field that plated Croglio.
Mahoney followed with his second-career triple over the first base bag and down into the right field corner. Sophomore Cameron Brown, who went 2-for-3 on the day, followed with a single to left that scored Mahoney for a 4-1 lead.
Valparaiso did bring the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth thanks to a walk and a two-out single up the middle, but Alas got the next batter to ground out to first to end the game.
The Spiders have three-straight home games to conclude the current nine-game homestand, beginning Monday against Towson at 3 p.m. Richmond hosts nationally ranked Virginia on Tuesday at 3 p.m. and George Mason on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
