Neff Strikes Out Nine in Loss to Coppin State

Tuesday, February 25

Pitt Field

1:30 PM

University of Richmond

2-6

Coppin State

1-4

Coppin State

Richmond

Photo by: Keith Lucas

02/25/2020 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

RICHMOND, Va. – Freshman left-hander Jeremy Neff (West Palm Beach, Fla.) turned in a solid performance in his second-career start Tuesday afternoon at Pitt Field. Neff worked into the sixth inning and struck out nine Coppin State hitters before handing the ball to the bullpen. Coppin State would find success late and defeated the Spiders 11-1. Richmond falls to 2-6 on the season, while Coppin State improves to 1-4.

Neff started on the hill, going 5.1 innings with nine strikeouts, scattered four hits and allowed three earned runs. Antonio Balducci (Mechanicsville, Va.) closed out the sixth, allowing an unearned run. Alden Mathes (Broomall, Pa.) worked an inning, striking out three and giving up a run. Jarrad DeLarso (Malvern, Pa.) worked a clean eighth with a strikeout. The ninth inning saw the trio of Sammy Senders (Potomac, Md.), Mason Majors (Kansas City, Mo.) and Theo Farynick (Lloyd Harbor, N.Y.) combine to get the final three outs.

Jordan Schulefand (Parkland, Fla.) was the offense for the Spiders. Richmond managed just two hits in the contest, with Schulefand hitting a pair of singles. Drew Blakely (Galesburg, Mich.) drove in the run after reaching on an error in the first inning.

The Spiders got on the board in the bottom of the first, plating an unearned run. An infield single and a walk put two on for Blakely who chopped a grounder at third base where it was mishandled, allowing Schulefand to score from second.

Coppin State got on the board in the top of the sixth inning, plating four runs to take the lead. After a one-out single, Marcos Castillo hit a two-run home run to put the Eagles up one. A walk and a single put two on before a hit by pitch loaded the bases. Toran Smith hit a ground ball to the left side, the Spiders got the out at second but couldn't get the relay over to first to turn the double play and the ball bounced away, allowing two runs to score.

The Eagles added another run in the next frame. A double from the lead-off hitter got the rally going as again it was Castillo who singled to bring in the run and extend the lead to 5-1. Coppin State broke the game open in the top of the ninth, scoring six runs as it took advantage of six free passes to go with two hits.

The Spiders are back in action Friday as they host the Georgetown Hoyas at 1:30 p.m. in the first game of the Central Virginia Classic. Richmond will play host to the Hoyas, the Wagner Seahawks and the West Virginia Mountaineers during the weekend.

-- UR --