University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
George Washington
GW Takes Series With 4-2 Win On Sunday
03/29/2009 | Baseball
March 29, 2009
ARLINGTON, Va. - The Spiders brought the tying run to plate in the ninth inning, but George Washington was able to make its three runs in the first inning stand and beat Richmond 4-2 Sunday to take the three-game Atlantic 10 series in Arlington, Va.
Junior Victor Croglio and sophomore Mike Mergenthaler each had two of Richmond's seven hits, including a ninth-inning solo home run from Croglio, but the Spiders were unable to generate the equalizer in the ninth.
The victory allowed the Colonials (13-14, 3-3) to take the series the series from the Spiders (13-7, 3-3), after Richmond had won the Friday's contest. The first two games of the hotly-contested series were decided in extra innings.
Sophomore starting pitcher Anthony Cafagna settled in after the rocky first inning that saw GW take a 3-0 lead on the strength of back-to-back, two-out solo homers from Tim Reeves and Brendan Kelliher.
But GW starter Pat Lehman was up to the task and limited the Spiders to just five hits and a run in eight innings with eight strike outs to remain undefeated on the season (3-0).
Cafagna, who went four innings and allowed just a run and two hits after the first, got little run support and was tagged the loss (2-1). Senior Josh Horn allowed just a hit in three innings of scoreless relief.
Richmond threatened in the eighth when Mergenthaler (single) and Metzroth (walk) each reached to lead off the inning, but Lehman retired the next three Spiders in order to squash the threat.
Lehman turned the game over to his bullpen in the ninth and three different Colonials were needed to seal the victory. Bobby Lucas fanned Andrew Lowry, then allowed Croglio's home run that cut the lead to 4-2.
Michael Boylen yielded a single in the next at-bat to Adam McConnell and with the tying run in the batter's box, Ryan LaPointe earned his first save by inducing a double-play ground ball from Cameron Brown for the final two outs.
Croglio's homer and the RBI double from Metzroth in the sixth inning that put Richmond on the board were the Spiders' only two extra-base hits in the game.
Richmond returns to action this weekend with a home-and-home set versus William & Mary. Tuesday's game in Williamsburg is set for 5 p.m., with Wednesday's game in Richmond slated at 3:30 p.m.
