University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Niagara
Offense Erupts As Spiders Rally To Take Game Two From Niagara, 16-9
02/22/2009 | Baseball
Feb. 22, 2009
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND - A 10-run fourth inning by Richmond lifted the Spiders past Niagara, 16-9, Sunday afternoon in a game suspended by darkness Saturday evening. Sophomore Billy Barber finished three-for-three with four RBI, highlighted by a towering three-run homer in the fourth inning.
Richmond needed to rally in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, with Niagara jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning, then making it 7-4 in the top of the fourth.
Freshman Chris Cowell was three-for-three in his first collegiate start, with a two-run homer and five RBI. Barber, who also walked twice, scored four times in the game. Sophomore Mike Mergenthaler and senior Ryan Metzroth each collected two hits, with Metzroth scoring four times and driving in three runs.
Richmond (2-0) fell behind early as Niagara's Matt Lucchesi lifted a grand slam home run off junior starter Matt Zielinski in the first inning.
Metzroth and Barber doubled home runs in back-to-back at bats in the bottom of the first and the Spiders drew even with RBIs from Cowell and fellow freshman Adam McConnell in the third inning.
The fireworks started in the top half of the fourth and Niagara (0-2) struck times, opening a 7-4 lead and chasing Zielinski after 3.2 innings of work. But with daylight dimming, the Spider bats erupted in the bottom of the fourth and put Richmond up for good. Richmond sent 15 batters to plate in the frame and scored 10 runs.
Back-to-back walks to Cameron Brown and Metzroth set the stage for Barber's bomb over the trees in left field. Two batters later, Cowell blasted his homer to left, followed later by consecutive two-RBI hits - a double to left-center by Brown and a homer to right by Metzroth. Cowell had an RBI single in his second at-bat to cap the inning's scoring.
Billy Falasco toed the rubber when the seven-inning contest resumed Sunday and the sophomore pitched the final three innings for his first career save. He fanned five (no walks) and allowed two runs on six hits. Jung was credited with the victory.
RBIs by Mergenthaler and Cowell in the sixth inning accounted for Richmond's final two runs in the contest.
