University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
La Salle
Baseball Scores Eight Times In Fourth Inning And Cruises Past La Salle
04/30/2011 | Baseball
April 30, 2011
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND - Anthony Cafagna fired scoreless relief over the final six innings and the Spiders scored the game's final nine runs - including eight in the fourth inning - as Richmond defeated La Salle Saturday at Pitt Field, 9-2, and clinched the crucial weekend series.
The Explorers struck twice in the top of the fourth inning to seize a 2-0 lead, but it all Spiders after that as Richmond sealed its 16th come-from-behind victory of the season.
With the win, the Spiders improved to 22-18-2 overall and moved into a third-place tie with Dayton at 9-5 in A-10 play. La Salle slipped to 23-17 and a half-game back of Richmond at 10-7.
Richmond sent 13 batters to the plate in the decisive fourth inning, pounded out seven of their 10 hits, scored eight times and never looked back. Derek Boliek's RBI single got the rally started and Matt Zink followed with an RBI single that tied the game at 2-2.
JB Gadd's run-scoring single gave the Spiders a 3-2 lead, a sacrifice fly from Mike Mergenthaler scored Gadd and Chris Cowell's double finally ended the day for La Salle starter Eric Van Wyk, who was tagged his first loss of the season (3-1).
But the Spiders weren't done, as reliever Cody Weiss plunked Billy Barber, walked Bret Williams and allowed RBI singles to Phil Ruzbarsky and Chris Bell before finally ending the inning.
Cafagna entered in relief of freshman starter Chris Bates after Marc Schoch's two-run homer with one out in the fourth and was bolstered by the eight runs of support to improve to 6-3 on the season (3-0 in the A-10). The senior from Philadelphia worked around a bases-loaded threat in the sixth and scattered six hits over his 5.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts and two walks.
Richmond padded its lead in the seventh with an RBI double from Gadd, who finished two-for-five with a run and two RBI. Bell and Cowell also had two of the Spiders' 10 hits.
Richmond's eight-run fourth inning matched its season-high for runs in an inning, which also came in the fourth inning of a 17-4 rout of Quinnipiac on March 13.
The Spiders go for their second A-10 series sweep of the season Sunday. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. at Pitt Field.
