University of Richmond Athletics
Saturday, February 27
1 PM
University of Richmond
3-0
9
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8
Mount St. Mary's (Md.)
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8
9
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H
E
Mount Saint Mary's
0
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2
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5
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8
11
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Richmond
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9
12
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Photo by: Spiders Athletics
Ciufo Delivers the Game-Winning Hit in Walk Off Over Mount Saint Mary's
02/27/2021 | Baseball
RICHMOND, Va. – After falling behind to the Mount Saint Mary's Mountaineers late Saturday afternoon at Pitt Field, Spider baseball rallied to score three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to improve to 3-0 on the season. Rich Ciufo (Medford, N.Y.) connected on the walk-off single, bringing home freshman Chase Conklin (Mullica Hill, N.J.) who was pinch running for Drew Blakely (Galesburg, Mich.) Earlier in the inning, Blakley drove in two runs with a single of his own to set the stage for Ciufo's game winner.
Five Spider pitchers combined to earn the win. Matthew Plisko (Alpharetta, Ga.) started, going 5.0 innings, allowing four hits, one earned run and striking out four. Nolan Collins (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) was next on, throwing 0.2 innings, allowing five runs, one earned, to go with a strikeout. Antonio Balducci (Mechanicsville, Va.) relieved Collins, throwing 1.1 innings, allowing no runs on one hit. Collin Lowe (Ridgefield, Conn.) got his first action of the season, throwing a scoreless eighth with a strikeout. Jordan Schulefand (Parkland, Fla.) got the win, throwing the ninth inning, allowing one run.
Blakely led the Spider offense with a 3-for-5 performance Saturday afternoon, and drove in the tying runs in the ninth inning. Ciufo and Chris Rinaldi (Westfield, N.J.) each tallied a pair of hits, with three and two RBI, respectively. Anthony Forte (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and scored once. Alden Mathes (Broomall, Pa.), Dominic Toso (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Austin Masel (Stoneham, Mass.) each had one base hit.
Richmond jumped out to a lead scoring five in the first inning, all with two outs. Masel started the rally, driving a 1-2 pitch back through the box for a single. Blakely snuck a single through the opposite way to put two on. Forte delivered a line drive single to left to bring in the first run of the game. After a walk loaded the bases, Ciufo connected for a single through the left side to score two. A wild pitch moved two into scoring position for Rinaldi who singled to center field to bring both in and extend the lead to 5-0.
The Mount got on the board in the top of the fourth. A lead-off double came around to score after a hard-hit ball bounced off the cleat of the Spider pitcher, kicking into shallow left field. With runners on second and third, a ground ball to shortstop scored another run to cut the lead to 5-2.
Richmond got a run back in the bottom of the frame. Rinaldi doubled on an 0-2 pitch to reach base, and came home when Mathes drove a double to the gap in right center.
Mount Saint Mary's took the lead in the top of the sixth inning. The rally started with a Spider error, which was followed by a double. A ground out scored the first Mountaineer run of the inning, before a bases loaded walk, an infield single and two hit by pitches scored a total of five runs to put The Mount up 7-6. Mount Saint Mary's added a solo run in the top of the ninth to extend the lead to 8-6.
The Spiders battled in the bottom of the ninth as Mathes and Toso led off the frame with back-to-back walks. Ricky Jones (Hopewell, Va.) pinch ran for Toso and Masel moved Mathes and Jones into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Blakely delivered the game tying hit, dropping a single to left field before being lifted for Conklin to pinch run. After falling behind Forte 3-0, Mount Saint Mary's intentionally walked the redshirt senior to put two on for Ciufo. Ciufo drove a 1-1 pitch to left field, allowing Conklin to score and to give the Spiders the victory.
Richmond and Mount Saint Mary's conclude the four-game series Sunday at noon at Pitt Field.
-- UR --
Five Spider pitchers combined to earn the win. Matthew Plisko (Alpharetta, Ga.) started, going 5.0 innings, allowing four hits, one earned run and striking out four. Nolan Collins (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) was next on, throwing 0.2 innings, allowing five runs, one earned, to go with a strikeout. Antonio Balducci (Mechanicsville, Va.) relieved Collins, throwing 1.1 innings, allowing no runs on one hit. Collin Lowe (Ridgefield, Conn.) got his first action of the season, throwing a scoreless eighth with a strikeout. Jordan Schulefand (Parkland, Fla.) got the win, throwing the ninth inning, allowing one run.
Blakely led the Spider offense with a 3-for-5 performance Saturday afternoon, and drove in the tying runs in the ninth inning. Ciufo and Chris Rinaldi (Westfield, N.J.) each tallied a pair of hits, with three and two RBI, respectively. Anthony Forte (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and scored once. Alden Mathes (Broomall, Pa.), Dominic Toso (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Austin Masel (Stoneham, Mass.) each had one base hit.
Richmond jumped out to a lead scoring five in the first inning, all with two outs. Masel started the rally, driving a 1-2 pitch back through the box for a single. Blakely snuck a single through the opposite way to put two on. Forte delivered a line drive single to left to bring in the first run of the game. After a walk loaded the bases, Ciufo connected for a single through the left side to score two. A wild pitch moved two into scoring position for Rinaldi who singled to center field to bring both in and extend the lead to 5-0.
The Mount got on the board in the top of the fourth. A lead-off double came around to score after a hard-hit ball bounced off the cleat of the Spider pitcher, kicking into shallow left field. With runners on second and third, a ground ball to shortstop scored another run to cut the lead to 5-2.
Richmond got a run back in the bottom of the frame. Rinaldi doubled on an 0-2 pitch to reach base, and came home when Mathes drove a double to the gap in right center.
Mount Saint Mary's took the lead in the top of the sixth inning. The rally started with a Spider error, which was followed by a double. A ground out scored the first Mountaineer run of the inning, before a bases loaded walk, an infield single and two hit by pitches scored a total of five runs to put The Mount up 7-6. Mount Saint Mary's added a solo run in the top of the ninth to extend the lead to 8-6.
The Spiders battled in the bottom of the ninth as Mathes and Toso led off the frame with back-to-back walks. Ricky Jones (Hopewell, Va.) pinch ran for Toso and Masel moved Mathes and Jones into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Blakely delivered the game tying hit, dropping a single to left field before being lifted for Conklin to pinch run. After falling behind Forte 3-0, Mount Saint Mary's intentionally walked the redshirt senior to put two on for Ciufo. Ciufo drove a 1-1 pitch to left field, allowing Conklin to score and to give the Spiders the victory.
Richmond and Mount Saint Mary's conclude the four-game series Sunday at noon at Pitt Field.
-- UR --
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Schulefand, Jordan (1-0)
L: Huff,Derek (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Fisher,Ryan 1 ; Parker II,Vaughn 1
RBI: Nicholson,Myles 1 ; Fisher,Ryan 1 ; Parker II,Vaughn 1 ; Savastio,Thomas 2 ; Holcomb,A.J. 1 ; Wockley,Shane 1 ; Drawbaugh,Brady 1
SH: Haddaway,Ryan 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Fisher,Ryan 3 ; Parker II,Vaughn 2 ; Haddaway,Ryan 1 ; Holcomb,A.J. 1 ; Wockley,Shane 1
CS: Savastio,Thomas 1 ; Holcomb,A.J. 1
HBP: Nicholson,Myles 2 ; Fisher,Ryan 1 ; Holcomb,A.J. 1
Batting:
2B: Mathes, Alden 1 ; Toso, Dominic 1 ; Rinaldi, Chris 1
RBI: Mathes, Alden 1 ; Blakely, Drew 2 ; Forte, Anthony 1 ; Ciufo, Rich 3 ; Rinaldi, Chris 2
SH: Masel, Austin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mathes, Alden 1 ; Jones, Ricky 1 ; Masel, Austin 1 ; Blakely, Drew 1 ; Conklin, Chase 1 ; Forte, Anthony 1 ; Leckie, Dan 1 ; Ciufo, Rich 1 ; Rinaldi, Chris 1
HBP: Leckie, Dan 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
LHP
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RHP
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INF
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OF
/ Baseball
RHP
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OF
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LHP/UTL
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RHP
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OF
/ Baseball
INF
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