University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
La Salle
Cowell, Mergenthaler Homer But La Salle Avoids Sweep With Sunday Win
05/01/2011 | Baseball
May 1, 2011
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND - Chris Cowell and Mike Mergenthaler each homered for Richmond, but visiting La Salle protected its early lead and beat the Spiders, 7-5, Sunday at Pitt Field. Richmond won Friday and Saturday to clinch the key A-10 series.
Cowell, who finished the day two-for-three with a homer, a walk, two RBI and two runs, collected six hits, three RBI, three runs and a homer in the series to bump his average to .286 on the season and .429 in A-10 play.
Mergentahler homered twice in the series, and his two-run missile to left-center shaved Richmond's deficit to 7-5 in the seventh inning. But the back end of La Salle's bullpen was solid as Kevin Christy fired a scoreless eighth inning and Pat Christensen recorded his A-10 leading 12th save with a spotless ninth.
The victory improved La Salle to 24-17 overall and 11-7 in the A-10, while Richmond slipped to 22-19-2, 9-6.
After the Explorers seized an early 3-0 lead in the second inning, the Spiders got one back in the bottom half when Chris Bell doubled to drive in Cowell, who walked to lead off the inning.
Richmond though, left the bases loaded in second inning and La Salle scored in the fifth to reclaim a three-run lead advantage with Zack Feierstein's infield RBI single.
The 23rd career home run from Cowell landed in the trees in left field and that two-run blast made it a 4-3 game in the bottom of the fifth.
But La Salle capitalized on a key Richmond error in the sixth inning to distance itself with three much-needed insurance runs. A lead-off single from Brendan Norton ended starter Matt Trent's day and in the next at-bat, Danny Klem's sacrifice bunt was fired wide of second by reliever Andrew Brockett and both runners moved to scoring position.
Jeff Flax, John Gyles and Eric Kammler followed later with RBIs before reliever Billy Barber ended the inning. Barber was solid with 3.1 innings of scoreless work and Mergenthaler's seventh-inning homer gave the Spiders a chance at their 17th comeback win of the season.
Trent was hung the loss (1-2), while Shane Petrellis flirted with danger much of the afternoon but worked five innings with four hits, four walks and five strikeouts to record the win (3-3).
Richmond has the week off before another pivotal A-10 series next weekend at nationally-ranked and first-place Charlotte. Friday's game is set for 6 p.m.
