University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
No. 1 Saint Louis
Comeback Falls Short Against Top-Seeded Billikens
05/24/2013 | Baseball
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The University of Richmond Spiders baseball team's comeback bid against the top-seeded Saint Louis Billikens fell short on Thursday night in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, 10-6.
With the setback, Richmond's season comes to a close with an overall record of 31-24 on the season. Saint Louis improves to 37-19 with the victory and moves on in the A-10 Tournament.
Junior Adam Forrer went 2-for-4 with a grand slam and a run scored to lead the Spiders, while freshman Tyler Beckwith capped a great A-10 Tournament with a pair of hits and a RBI. Junior Nick Poulos also had two hits for Richmond.
Out of the bullpen, senior Jacob Mayers pitched 5.2 innings in his final game as a Spider, allowing three runs while striking out three.
Saint Louis came out of the gates swinging the bats, scoring one run in the top of the first and six more in the second to take an early, 7-0 lead over the Spiders.
In the bottom of the third, Richmond responded when the Billikens pulled their starting pitcher who hadn't allowed a base runner. With two outs, the bases were loaded after a walk, and singles from Poulos and freshman Tanner Stanley.
Richmond scored its first run of the game on a Saint Louis error, as the SLU shortstop sailed a throw to first that would have ended the inning. Next up was Forrer, who blasted a 1-0 offering over the fence in right field for a grand slam – the first for the Spiders this season. Forrer's blast cut the lead to just two, 7-5.
With the Billikens now leading 8-5 after a run in the top of the fourth, Richmond cut the lead back to two with a run of their own in the bottom of the seventh. With runners on first and second, Beckwith singled sharply to right field, plating Mayers from second and trimming the lead to 8-6.
The Spider comeback bid would end there, however, as Saint Louis scored twice more in the eighth and was able to hold off Richmond, winning 10-6.
With the loss, the 2013 season comes to a close for the Richmond Spiders baseball team. The year was a successful one for the team, as the Spiders won 31 games – the most for the program since the 2007 season. Richmond also improved its win total from the previous year for the fifth-straight year – the first time the feat has been accomplished in program history.
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