Plantier's Monster Day Clinches a Spot in the A-10 Tournament

Thursday, May 16

Pitt Field

3 PM

University of Richmond

26-22-1, 12-7

Saint Louis

24-27, 12-10

Saint Louis

Richmond

Photo by: Ken Lanese - Florida State Athletics

Plantier's Monster Day Clinches a Spot in the A-10 Tournament

05/16/2019 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

RICHMOND, Va. – Spider baseball saw itself down in a 2-0 hole after the top of the first inning Thursday night, but went on to score in seven of the next eight innings to cruise past the Saint Louis Billikens 17-4. Senior third baseman Tyler Plantier (Poway, Calif.) had himself a night, going 3-for-5 with seven RBI and three home runs in the victory. With the win, the Spiders clinched a spot in the Atlantic 10 Tournament next week in The Bronx. Richmond improves to 26-22-1 overall and 12-7 in league play. Saint Louis falls to 24-27 and 12-10 in A-10 action.

Plantier's three hits were the loudest of the day, but the rest of the lineup put together quality at bats. Anthony Forte (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) finished with a career-high five hits, going 5-for-6 with three RBI, three runs scored, a home run and a triple. Johnny Hipsman (Chester, N.Y.) also added a career-high four hits, finishing with two RBI, scored twice to go with a double. Jordan Schulefand (Parkland, Fla.) and Sage Bruhl (Northbrook, Ill.) each finished with a pair of hits. Schulefand scored four times with Bruhl crossing home plate three times.

Tim Miller (Wayne, Pa.) started on the hill, going 5.0 innings, allowing six hits, two earned runs and struck out two to earn his fifth win of the season. Jacob Lamb (Salisbury, Conn.) was first out of the bullpen, going an inning and giving up a run. Jarrad DeLarso (Marlton, N.J.) went 1.1 innings with a strikeout before giving way to Layne Looney (Dallas, Texas). Looney worked the final 1.2 innings with a pair of strikeouts.

Saint Louis got on the board in the top of the first inning, getting an infield single and a two-run home run to go up 2-0.

Plantier got the Spiders on the board in the bottom of the frame, hitting his 10^th home run of the season to straight-away center to cut the lead down to 2-1. Richmond tied it up with another solo run in the second inning. Hipsman singled to right to start the rally. A walk and a fielder's choice moved him to third and a wild pitch brought him in to tie the game at 2.

The Spiders continued to use the long ball in the bottom of the third inning. A lead-off walk and a single put runners on the corners for Plantier, who hammered his second home run of the evening beyond the spectators in right-center to put the Spiders up 5-2. Forte followed suit by taking the very next pitch he saw off the batter's eye in center field to extend the lead to 6-2.

Richmond extended its lead in bottom of the fourth, plating a pair of runs. A lead-off walk to Schulefand and a single from Bruhl put runners on the corners when Plantier lifted a fly ball to center for a sacrifice fly to bring in Schulefand. After a single and a walk loaded the bases, Hipsman popped up to the shortstop, who threw home. The ball kicked away from the Billiken catcher, and a heads up Bruhl scampered home to extend the lead to 8-2.

The Spiders added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, using another Plantier home run. A lead-off walk to Bruhl put one on and Plantier hammered his third home run of the day. Forte followed with a triple off the wall in left and came in to score when Hipsman doubled down the right field line to extend the lead to 11-3. UR added five more runs on five hits in the bottom of the seventh as Forte, Hipsman, and Daniel Little (Nicholasville, Ky.) each drove in runs in the frame. A double from Schulefand in the eighth and an RBI single from Forte gave the Spiders the 17-4 final tally.

The Spiders and Billikens are back in action tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. at Pitt Field for the second game of this three-game series.

-- UR --