University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Iona
Spiders Stay Unbeaten With 15-4 Win Over Iona Saturday
02/28/2009 | Baseball
Feb. 28, 2009
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND - The Richmond baseball team struck for eight runs in the sixth inning and defeated Iona, 15-4, Saturday afternoon in the second of a three-game series at Pitt Field. Freshmen Ryan Mallory and Chris Cowell combined for five RBI as the Spiders remained undefeated on the season.
Senior RF Ryan Metzroth homered for the third time this season, while junior lefty Matt Zielinski (1-0) picked up the win with his five-inning, five-strikeout performance. Junior 3B Cameron Brown collected a pair of hits and scored three times.
Richmond (7-0) has won seven-consecutive games to open the season - the team's longest winning streak since winning eight straight in 2007.
"It was good to see Zielinski bounce back and have a good outing today," said head coach Mark McQueen. "He pitched well and that was a big lift for our team."
But visiting Iona (0-6) struck first and scored three unearned runs in the third to take a 3-0 lead. Zielinski allowed consecutive singles to lead off the frame, and then loaded the bases with a one-out walk. With two outs, an error kept the inning alive and plated the first run, followed at batter later by a two-RBI single from Matthew Simone.
The Spiders got one back in the third, and then seized the lead with three different RBI singles from Cowell, Mallory and Brown in the fourth inning. Andrew Passarelle tied the game with his RBI in the fifth, but any chance of an Iona come-back quickly evaporated.
Metzroth crushed his team-leading third homer of the season in the bottom of the fifth - a solo shot - over the wall in right center. Freshman Matt Zink relieved Zielinski and fired a three-up-three-down top of the sixth to slam the door.
"That was the turning point right there," said McQueen, who saw his team win for third time this season when trailing after the first or second innings.
All eight Spider runs in the sixth were unearned, with three of the Gaels' six errors coming that inning. Richmond did its damage thanks to just two hits, but capitalized on four walks and two hit batters.
Starting pitcher Anthony Castellitto gave up five hits and six runs (five earned) in five innings of work and was tagged the loss. Richmond's final nine runs of the game were all unearned off the Iona bullpen.
Including Zink, four Spider relievers held the Gaels to just one hit and one walk over the final four innings.
Richmond and Iona will conclude their three-game series Sunday at Pitt Field at 12 p.m.
