Baseball Sweeps Home Opening Doubleheader with Bowling Green

Sunday, February 24

Pitt Field

10 AM

University of Richmond

4-0

Bowling Green

1-3

Bowling Green

Richmond

Photo by: Delvin Jones - Georgia Tech Athletics

Baseball Sweeps Home Opening Doubleheader with Bowling Green

02/24/2019 | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – Richmond baseball won two very different games over the visiting Bowling Green Falcons Sunday afternoon in the first action of 2019 at Pitt Field. The Spiders started the day locked in a close pitching battle that ended with a miraculous catch by Jordan Schulefand (Parkland, Fla.) in right field to preserve a 4-3 victory. Game two was decided much earlier as the Spiders plated nine runs in the first three innings, ultimately taking the nightcap 16-2. The Spiders improve to 5-0 on the season.

The Spider offense hit for a robust .397 team average on the day, plating 20 runs on 29 hits in the two contests. Schulefand led the Spiders at the dish, going 5-for-8 with four doubles and scored three times. Daniel Little (Nicholasville, Ky.) continued to turn the lineup card over, going 3-for-5 and drawing three walks out of the nine-spot. D.J. Lee (Frankfort, Ill.) was the main run producer. Along with going 5-for-9, Lee drove in seven runs on two doubles and a triple. He finished a home run short of the cycle in the nightcap. Sage Bruhl (Northbrook, Ill.) and Anthony Forte (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) each added a 3-for-6 performances on the day, going for a combined three doubles and scoring five times.

On the mound, Tim Miller (Wayne, Pa.) and Brendan McGuigan (Austin, Texas) started the first and second game, respectively. Miller went 5.0 innings, striking out eight with just one walk and two earned runs to earn his first win of the season. McGuigan posted a strong start, striking out nine hitters in 4.0 innings, allowing just one hit and one earned run. Antonio Balducci (Mechanicsville, Va.), Dalton Light (Atlanta, Ga.) and Layne Looney (Dallas, Texas) worked out of the bullpen in game one. The combined to throw the final 4.0 innings, scattering four hits and allowing just one run with six strikeouts. Sammy Senders (Potomac, Md.), Matt Olson (Mableton, Ga.) and Brian Craven (Hingham, Mass.) closed out game two. The relievers threw 5.0 innings, allowing one run and scattering five hits. Senders and Craven made their collegiate debuts.

The Spiders jumped on the Falcons early in game one, scoring four runs in their first turn on offense. Schulefand led off the game by taking the first pitch off the wall in right center to ignite the rally. After a walk to Lee and Tyler Plantier (Poway, Calif.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Forte delivered a clutch single to drive in the first run of the day and keep the bases loaded. A wild pitch allowed Lee to score before Kyle Schmidt (Smithville, Texas) delivered a double down the right field line to score two and put Richmond up 4-0 early.

Bowling Green answered in the next half inning, cutting the lead in half. A lead-off single and double put two in scoring position. A sacrifice fly brought one in and moved the runner up for a single from Gama Martinez brought in the second run.

The Falcons cut the lead down to one after plating one in the top of the sixth. With two outs, pinch-hitter Brad Croy drew a walk and scored from first after a double from Jeff Scott.

Looney surrendered a lead-off single to start the ninth before the runner stole second to put the tying run in scoring position. With two outs, Looney got the Bowling Green cleanup hitter to lift a fly ball to deep right field, where Schulefand made a leaping catch at the base of the wall to preserve the win and a Looney save.

Richmond jumped out to an early lead in game two, plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Schulefand led off with a double and Lee traded places with him with a double of his own. Plantier lined a single to drive in Lee and give the Spiders the early advantage.

Bowling Green cut the lead in half in the top of the third, plating a run on a Riley Minorik double.

The Spiders responded in their half of the inning, getting the run back and then some. UR erupted for seven runs on seven hits. Justin Cook (Virginia Beach, Va.), Justin Meyer (Villanova, Pa.), Little, Lee and Plantier all drove in runs in the rally. Meyer's was the first hit and RBI of his career. Lee's hit proved to be the biggest. With the bases loaded, he hit his eighth career triple off the top of the wall in right center to drive in three.

Richmond kept the rally going the very next inning, plating three runs thanks to RBI from Meyer, Little and Lee. The Spiders never looked back as they scored in five of eight innings to take the nightcap in decisive fashion.

Richmond and Bowling Green are schedule to finish the series tomorrow afternoon at 1:15 p.m. at Pitt Field.

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