University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Seton Hall
Spiders Rally For 14-13 Win; Alas Breaks Career Saves Record
03/09/2009 | Baseball
March 9, 2009
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND - Senior closer Brian Alas set the Richmond baseball career saves record as the Spiders rallied, then held off a late Seton Hall surge to beat the Pirates, 14-13, at Pitt Field Monday afternoon. Junior 3B Cameron Brown was four-for-four for the second-straight day as the Spiders improved to 8-1 on the season.
Alas closed out the Pirates in the ninth for his third save of the season and the 21st of his four-year career, breaking the mark of 20 held by former Spider John Cronin (2002-05).
But the Richmond offense put the Spiders in line for the win and Alas in line for the save as it exploded for 14 runs over the middle four innings to turn an 8-0 Seton Hall lead into 14-9 advantage heading to the seventh.
After the Pirates (3-5) struck for four runs in each the first and second inning, Richmond pounded out six hits and six runs in the third, shaving the deficit to a manageable two runs. Junior 2B Chris Cuppia ripped a two-RBI single up the middle to highlight the frame.
Sophomore righty Anthony Cafagna cooled the SHU bats as starter Ian Marshall was touched up for eight runs on seven hits over 2.2 innings of work. Cafagna allowed just a run over 2.1 innings of relief and - thanks to seven more runs by the Spiders in the fifth - left the game in line for his first victory of the season (1-0).
Brown drew a bases loaded walk in the inning and freshman C Chris Cowell followed later with a two-run double to centerfield that put the Spiders up for good. Eleven Spiders came to the plate in the decisive fifth and the Spiders rattled reliever Benedy Mejia for five runs in 1.1 innings of work. Mejia was tagged the loss (0-1).
But the Pirates would not go quietly as Bobby Migliazza launched a three-run homer in the seventh and Michael Rogers led off the eighth with Seton Hall's third home run of the day, making the score 14-13.
Sophomore Billy Barber got the Spiders out of further trouble in the eighth and Alas slammed the door in the ninth to save Richmond's eighth win of the season.
Chris Spagnuolo's grand slam in the first inning got the scoring started for Seton Hall and four more runs came across in the second thanks to three hits and two walks.
Brown finished the day four-for-four with three RBI and two runs scored, while Cowell, Barber, Cuppia, freshman SS Adam McConnell, sophomore CF Andrew Lowry and senior RF Ryan Metzroth each collected two of Richmond's 17 hits.
The victory marked Richmond's fourth of the season when trailing after the second inning (4-1).
The Spiders return to action Tuesday, opening a three-game series versus Bryant University at Pitt Field at 2 p.m.
