University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Old Dominion
Baseball Falls At Old Dominion Tuesday Night
05/12/2009 | Baseball
May 12, 2009
NORFOLK, Va. - The Richmond baseball team allowed Old Dominion to open an early 7-0 lead and the Monarchs held off a late rally to win 11-4 in Norfolk, Va. Tuesday night in the Spiders' final non-conference game of the regular season.
ODU starter Cory Toth, who was knocked around by the Spiders in the April 22nd game at Pitt Field, reversed his fortunes Tuesday night by dodging early trouble and holding Richmond scoreless and firing a one-hitter through five innings.
With Toth cruising, the Monarchs (21-23) pushed two across in the first, got a three-run home run from Josh Wright in the third and two more came home fourth. Richmond starter Jared Bard lasted just three innings, was charged with the first five runs and suffered the loss (0-2).
After leaving runners at the corners in the first, two on base in the second and single runners in the fourth and fifth, Richmond finally dented the scoreboard in the sixth after Mike Mergenthaler was plunked by Toth to lead off the inning, Billy Barber reached on an error and Ryan Metzroth walked to load the bases.
Chris Cowell's RBI single to shallow left drove in the first run and Phil Ruzbarsky followed with a two-RBI single. Chris Cuppia's sacrifice bunt moved two more into scoring position and ended Toth's day. Matt Zink would follow later with an RBI single.
That was all Richmond could muster off the ODU staff as Toth earned the victory (2-3), ensuring the split in the teams' two-game season series.
The Spiders (20-24) left the bases loaded in the ninth and stranded a total of 12 runners in the ballgame.
Jake McAloose had three of ODU's 13 hits, drove in two and scored twice, while six different Spiders collected the six hits - Cameron Brown's first inning triple was the lone extra-base hit for Richmond.
The Spiders bring the 2009 regular season to a close at La Salle with a three-game series that begins Thursday.
