University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Bryant
Spiders Silenced; Bryant Wins 4-2 And Takes Series
03/12/2009 | Baseball
March 12, 2009
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - The Richmond offense was silenced and Bryant broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the seventh inning to down Richmond, 4-2, Thursday afternoon and take the series from the Spiders.
The Spiders (9-3) were bottled up for a season-low six hits - two coming from sophomore 1B Mike Mergenthaler - as Bryant starter Kevin Cobb cruised over eight innings of work.
Cobb, who took a perfect game into the fourth, fanned five and walked one to record his second win of the season. A one-out single by 3B Cameron Brown extended the junior's hitting streak to 12 games and broke up Cobb's perfect-game bid.
But Bryant (7-3) led just 1-0 heading to the bottom of the fifth thanks to five strong innings by Richmond sophomore starter Billy Falasco, who scattered six hits and worked his way around a lead-off error in the first inning and a bases-loaded jam in the third.
Mergenthaler helped Richmond strike for the equalizer in the bottom of the fifth by leading off with a double. Freshman DH Chris Cowell singled behind him and the Spiders appeared to have momentum. An RBI groundout by sophomore CF Andrew Lowry plated Mergenthaler as the tying run, but Cobb squashed the rally and set the Spiders down in order following Cowell's hit.
The Bulldogs claimed the lead for good in the seventh thanks to a two-RBI double from Pat O'Connor and a run-scoring single from Jamie Skagerlind - both off reliever Josh Horn. The senior allowed four hits over two innings of work and was tagged his first loss of the season (3-1).
Mergenthaler roped his second double of the game to lead off the seventh inning and eventually scored on an RBI groundout from junior C Evan Stehle, but Cobb limited the damage to just a run and preserved the lead.
The Spiders would bring the tying run to plate in the eight and ninth, as junior 2B Chris Cuppia singled in the eighth and sophomore Billy Barber pounded a double down the left field in the ninth.
Cobb got three-consecutive outs in the eighth and closer Mark Andrews escaped further danger in the ninth for his second save of the season.
Playing for the fifth-straight day, Richmond returns to action Friday at Pitt Field to open a three-game series versus Yale. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
