Spiders Drop Back-And-Forth Game Against Liberty

Sunday, February 16

Jacksonville, Fla.

12:00 PM

University of Richmond

1-2

vs. Liberty

0-3

Liberty

Richmond

02/16/2014 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Richmond Athletics

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Richmond Spiders dropped a back-and-forth game to the Liberty Flames, 11-6, on Sunday afternoon at the UNF Best Bet Classic in Jacksonville.

With the loss, Richmond falls to 0-3 on the season while the Big South favorite Flames improve to 1-2 with the victory.

Sophomore Tanner Stanley went 1-for-2 on the day with two RBI, two walks and a stolen base. Classmate Tyler Beckwith and senior JB Gadd each had run-scoring singles for the Spiders.

Liberty struck first on a beautiful day in Jacksonville, scoring runs in both the second and third innings to take an early, 2-0 lead.

Richmond answered right back in the bottom of the third, scoring a pair of runs to knot the game. After a walk, catcher's interference and a sacrifice bunt, runners were on second and third with out for Stanley. The sophomore came through for Richmond, slapping a two-run single through the middle, tying the game at 2-2.

The Flames came right back, scoring three times in the top of the fourth, chasing Richmond starter Ryan Cook to stake a 5-2 lead over the Spiders.

The back-and-forth action continued in the bottom of the frame, with Richmond putting up a three-spot of its' own. With the bases loaded after a single and a pair of walks, a balk was called on Liberty's pitcher, cutting the Flames' lead to 5-3. Two batters later, Beckwith lined a two-run single to left, tying the game at 5-5 after four complete.

In the fifth and sixth, Liberty pushed across four runs, taking a 9-5 advantage in to the bottom of the seventh.

Richmond cut a run off the deficit in the inning as Gadd plated a run with a bases-loaded infield single. The Spiders were unable to push across any more runs, however, and trailed the Flames, 9-6, after seven full.

After Liberty was able to add a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth, Richmond couldn't get a rally started and fell to the Flames, 11-6.

The Richmond Spiders will begin a season-long 13-game home stand at Pitt Field on Wednesday when the team plays host to in-state rival VMI. First pitch is scheduled at 2:30 p.m.