University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Xavier
Richmond Baseball Drops Doubleheader To Xavier
04/05/2008 | Baseball
April 5, 2008
CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Richmond baseball team suffered a pair of defeats at Xavier Saturday afternoon in an Atlantic 10 doubleheader in Cincinnati, Ohio as the Spiders dropped the series opener 14-3 and the nightcap 14-5. Senior Austin Reilly hit a solo home run in the first game and Joe White finished the day with four hits.
With the setbacks, the Spiders fell to 12-17-1 overall and 4-4 in the A-10, while the home-standing Musketeers improved to 11-14, 6-2.
After Friday's series-opener was pushed back until today due to rain, the Musketeers jumped on the Spiders for 10 runs in the first three innings and never looked back. Sophomore starter Matt Zielinski was touched up for nine runs in 2.1 innings of work and was handed his first loss of the season (2-1).
Steve Brown hit a three-run homer to lead the Xavier onslaught early in the contest.
Richmond chipped away, tying the game at 1-1 in the second inning when freshman Derek Boliek singled home classmate Mike Mergenthaler, who singled earlier in the inning to extend his hitting streak to 19 games.
But starting pitcher Charlie Leesman and reliever Kyle Cowden silenced the Spider bats until the late innings. Evan Stehle ripped an RBI single in the eighth and Reilly's first collegiate home run - a solo shot to deep right center - made it 14-3 in the ninth.
The nightcap saw the Spiders push a pair of runs across in the sixth and cut the deficit in half at 4-2. Ryan Grant had a run-scoring ground out and Ryan Metzroth scored on an error for the Spiders in the frame.
But Xavier got those back in the bottom of the inning, then poured on seven runs in the seventh inning and another in the eight to pull away for good.
Freshman pinch hitter Evan Plys laced a two-RBI single - his first career hit and RBIs -- in the ninth as the Spiders struck for three unearned runs, to make the final 14-5.
Starting pitcher Stephen Owens also dropped his first decision of the season (2-1) after allowing six runs in 5.2 innings of work. Michael Lucas went seven innings for Xavier to get the victory.
Mergenthaler went hitless in four at-bats to snap his team-best and career-long hitting streak at 19. White and freshman Andrew Lowry each had hits in both games and have now hit safely in 14 and 10 consecutive games, respectively.
The series concludes Sunday afternoon at noon.
