University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
18-24-1, 9-11
Saint Joseph's
29-10, 15-4
Sterling Holds Own In 5-2 Road Loss at Saint Joseph's
05/04/2014 | Baseball
MERION STATION, Pa. -- Richmond baseball got five strong innings from Zak Sterling (Salisbury, Md.) and a home run from left fielder Jansen Fraser (Glen Allen, Va. / St. Christopher's), but the Spiders could not muster enough offense against the top team in the Atlantic 10 Conference in a 5-2 road loss at Saint Joseph's Saturday afternoon at Smithson Field. The loss drops the Spiders to 18-24-1 overall, 9-11 in A-10 play. The Hawks have won eight in a row and 12 of 13 to improve to 29-10 on the season, 15-4 in the A-10.
The Hawks scratched across a first-inning run after a double and a sacrifice fly, but Sterling locked down the league's top team, giving up just two harmless singles over the next four frames to keep the Spiders in the game.
Richmond leveled the score at a run each in the fifth after right fielder Ryan Cook (Virginia Beach, Va. / First Colonial) walked and advanced to second on a ground out by designated hitter Kurtis Brown (Champaign, Ill.) ground out. Shortstop Tyler Beckwith (Mount Airy, Md.) then singled to right to put runners at the corners. After a second out, center fielder Nick Poulos (Richmond, Va. / Douglas Freeman) poked a hit up the middle for the game-tying run.
The Hawks finally got to Sterling in the sixth with a pair of runs on three hits. Sterling was then touched up for another hit in the seventh before the Hawks collected a two-run homer off the Spider bullpen by catcher Brian O'Keefe for the 5-1 Hawks lead.
The Fraser homer came in the eighth with two outs for the game's final scoring play. It was his third of the season.
Sterling was tagged with the loss (4-3). Hawks starter Jordan Cater got the win (8-3), tossing eight innings in the 2:14 affair.
Five different Spiders had one hit each.
Richmond and Saint Joseph's will finish the series Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. Cook is scheduled to start opposite RHP Tyler Pallante.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Carter (8-3)
L: Sterling, Zak (4-3)
S: Schuler (5)
Batting:
HR: Fraser, Jansen 1
RBI: Fraser, Jansen 1 ; Poulos, Nick 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Fraser, Jansen 1 ; Cook, Ryan 1
HBP: Cook, Ryan 1
Batting:
2B: Hueth 1 ; O'Keefe 1 ; Forgey 1
HR: O'Keefe 1
RBI: O'Keefe 3 ; Forgey 1 ; Kancylarz 1
SH: Craig 1
SF: Forgey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hueth 2 ; O'Keefe 2 ; Boyd 1
