Forte's Grand Slam Comes up Short in Final Midweek

Tuesday, May 7

Pitt Field

3 PM

University of Richmond

25-19-1

Delaware State

18-23

Delaware State

Richmond

Photo by: Elle Forte - Elle Forte Photography

05/07/2019 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

RICHMOND, Va. – With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, redshirt junior center fielder Anthony Forte (Hoffman Estates, Ill.), hit his team-leading 10^th home run of the season to cut the Delaware State lead to 9-7. The Spiders failed to complete the comeback as they dropped their 19^th game of the season, falling to 25-19-1. Delaware State improves to 18-23 with the win.

The Spider offense combined for 11 hits, led by a 3-for-3 performance from catcher A.J. Kloehn (Cantonn, Ohio) out of the ninth spot in the lineup. Tyler Plantier (Poway, Calif.), Kyle Schmidt (Smithville, Texas) and Justin Cook (Virginia Beach, Va.) all tallied a pair of hits, with Cook driving in two runs. Forte led the team with four RBI after the grand slam in the ninth inning.

Spider pitching couldn't find its rhythm against the Hornets as six pitchers took the hill. Lowell Schipper (Santa Monica, Calif.) got the start, working into the third inning, allowing a pair of hits, three runs, two earned, walked two and struck out three hitters. Matt Olson (Mableton, Ga.) was first out of the bullpen, going 1.2 innings, allowing six hits and two runs. Aaron Winkler (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) and Antonio Balducci (Mechanicsville, Va.) each worked 1.1 innings, allowing a combined three runs, two earned, to go with one and two strikeouts, respectively. Brian Craven (Hingham, Mass.) kept DSU off the board for the first time in the top of the seventh inning. He worked a total of 1.2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out three. Sammy Senders (Potomac, Md.) threw the ninth, allowing a run on two hits.

The Hornets took an early lead scoring in the first two innings of play before the Spiders answered. Delaware State scored a run after a lead-off walk came around on a double from Miguel Rivera in the first inning. The second inning started with an error to put a runner on for Todd Henry who lifted a pitch over the wall in left to put the Spiders up 3-0.

Richmond got on the board in the bottom of the second. Schmidt doubled down the first baseline and came around to score when Daniel Little (Nicholasville, Ky.) singled to left field to get the Spiders on the board.

Delaware State answered the next half inning, using back-to-back doubles from Darnell Maisonet and Cole Garey to score DSU's fourth run of the afternoon. A solo home run from Tommy Jordan in the top of the fourth extended the lead to 5-1.

The Spiders scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to cut into the Hornet lead. Schmidt singled up the middle and moved up after Little drew a walk. Cook drove a pitch to the wall in left center field to score a pair and cut the lead down to 5-3.

DSU continued to respond, plating two runs in the fifth thanks to a Garey home run and a runner who reached on an error came around on a single from Adrian Hill. A one-out walk came around to score in the sixth to extend the lead to 8-3. A one-out double in the ninth drove in the ninth Hornet run of the evening.

Richmond made it competitive in the bottom of the ninth after two singles and a walk loaded the bases. Forte connected on a grand slam to cut the lead to 9-7 with two outs, but UR couldn't keep the rally going, falling 9-7.

The Spiders return to the field this weekend as they head to Tallahassee, Fla. for a three-game series with the Florida State Seminoles beginning Friday night.

-- UR --