Baseball Drops A-10 Tournament Opener to Fourth-Seeded Fordham

Wednesday, May 22

Houlihan Park - Bronx, N.Y.

5 PM

University of Richmond

27-24-1

#4 Fordham

35-22

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Richmond	0	2	0	1	0	3	0	0	0	0	6	8	2
Fordham	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	3	0	1	7	14	0

Photo by: Atlantic 10 Conference

Baseball Drops A-10 Tournament Opener to Fourth-Seeded Fordham

05/22/2019 | Baseball

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THE BRONX, N.Y. – Richmond baseball fell 7-6 in 10 innings to the host Fordham Rams Wednesday night at Houlihan Park in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. The Spiders saw a 6-1 lead evaporate over the final four innings of play and couldn't find a timely hit late. Richmond will now play the loser of the VCU-Fordham game that is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.

Jordan Schulefand (Parkland, Fla.) sparked the Spider offense, going 3-for-6 with two RBI and a double. The five through nine spots of the lineup each tallied one hit, with D.J. Lee (Frankfort, Ill.) and Daniel Little (Nicholasville, Ky.) driving in a run apiece.

Tim Miller (Wayne, Pa.) got the start on the mound, turning in another quality outing. Miller went 6.0 innings, allowing seven hits, three runs, two earned and struck out four. Antonio Balducci (Mechanicsville, Va.) worked out of a bases loaded no-out situation in the seventh, but gave up three runs in the eighth and struck out two in his outing. Dalton Light (Atlanta, Ga.) suffered the loss, throwing the final 2.1 innings, allowing three hits and striking out two hitters and gave up an unearned run in the 10^th.

Richmond struck first, plating a pair of runs in the top of the second. With one out, Johnny Hipsman (Chester, N.Y.) and Justin Cook (Virginia Beach, Va.) reached on a single and a walk. Lee drove a single to right center to bring in Hipsman for the Spiders first run of the tournament and Cook moved to third. Daniel Little (Nicholasville, Ky.) lifted a pitch to left center that was deep enough to score Cook and extend the lead to 2-0.

Fordham responded in the bottom of the fourth, plating an unearned run. A lead-off error and a sacrifice bunt put the runner in scoring position. A single put runners on the corners and a sacrifice fly to center field drove in the run to cut the lead in half.

The Spiders rallied in the next half inning to extend the lead back to three. A lead-off walk to Hipsman put a runner on, Cook chopped a ground ball to third and the Fordham second baseman was too quick on the steps around the base and was never touching second with the ball, as Hipsman was awarded second base. A groundout moved Hipsman over to third and Schulefand drove a single through the right side to bring in the run and put the lead back to two.

After a scoreless fifth, Richmond went for three runs in the top of the sixth. Cook singled, Lee drew a walk and Little laid down a bunt so good it went for a single to load the bases. Schulefand drove a single to center field for the first run, and a bases loaded walk to Sage Bruhl (Northbrook, Ill.) brought home Lee. A groundout from Anthony Forte (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) brought in the third run and the Spiders extended the lead to 6-1.

Fordham responded with a couple runs of their own in the sixth. A one-out walk and a two-out single got the Spiders into a bit of trouble. Justin Bardwell singled to bring in the first run of the inning before Nick Labella dropped a double down the right field line to cut the lead down to 6-3, Spiders.

The Rams continued the comeback in the bottom of the eighth, plating three runs to tie it up. Four-straight singles drove a couple runs and a sacrifice fly brought in the tying run. After Richmond worked out of a bases loaded jam in the ninth, Fordham scratched the winning run across in the bottom of the 10^th. A lead-off infield single with an error put the first hitter of the inning at second base with no outs. A ground out to the right side moved him to third and a single the opposite way drove in the game-winning run.

The Spiders return to the field in an elimination game tomorrow evening at 8:30. Richmond will play the loser of the game between VCU and Fordham that will be played at 1:30 Thursday afternoon.

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