Offense Explodes for 12 Runs in Win Over George Mason

Sunday, March 21

Pitt Field

1 p.m.

University of Richmond

6-4

George Mason

3-8

George Mason

Richmond

Photo by: Spiders Athletics

Offense Explodes for 12 Runs in Win Over George Mason

03/21/2021 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

RICHMOND, Va. – A struggling Spider offense found its swing Sunday afternoon at Pitt Field. After scoring a combined five runs in the last three games, Richmond earned a 12-5 win over George Mason. The 12 runs in a game are the most in a game this season and the most since defeating Charleston Southern 14-7 to end the 2020 season. Eight of nine starters had at least one hit in the win, with seven going for multiple hits. Richmond scored a run in all but one inning in the contest. Jacob Marcus (Malvern, Pa.) struck out the 100^th hitter of his career to help Richmond improve to 6-4 and dropping George Mason to 3-8.

Marcus got the start, throwing 3.1 innings, allowing one hit, and one earned run. He finished with five strikeouts, bringing his career total to 104. Nolan Collins (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) got the win, throwing 1.1 shutout innings with a strikeout. Antonio Balducci (Mechanicsville, Va.) retired the one hitter he faced with a fly out before giving way to Collin Lowe (Ridgefield, Conn.). Lowe threw 3.0 innings, striking out two and allowing four earned runs. Jarrad DeLarso (Marlton, N.J.) threw the ninth, giving up a couple hits but keeping the Patriots off the board.

The Spider offense used a balanced approach up and down the lineup to score their 12 runs. The 3-4-5 hitters in the Spider lineup went a combined 9-for-15 as Drew Blakely (Galesburg, Mich.), Austin Masel (Stoneham, Mass.) and Dan Leckie (Suffield, Conn.) each finished 3-for-5 with an RBI. Masel and Leckie scored twice, Blakely led the team with three runs scored.

Anthony Forte (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) hitting lead off for the first time this season, finished 2-for-6 with two RBI, a triple, a double and scored a run. Johnny Hipsman (Chester, N.Y.) made the most of his first start this season, finishing 2-for-4 with two RBI, two doubles and scored once. Jared Sprague-Lott (Philadelphia, Pa.) was a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, and Alden Mathes (Broomall, Pa.) added a 2-for-5 game with two doubles and scored once at the bottom of the lineup. Chris Rinaldi (Westfield, N.J.) added a 1-for-4 game and drove in a run.

George Mason jumped out in the top of the first after a solo home run from Scott Morgan.

Richmond answered back, scoring a solo run of their own in the bottom of the first. With two outs, Blakely singled and went first to third on a Masel single and scored on a Leckie single to right.

The Spiders added two runs in each of the next three innings. A fielder's choice put a runner on for Forte who tripled down the first base line and later scored on a Blakely double in the second inning.

The third inning saw Leckie lead off with a single and move to third on a Hipsman double. Rinaldi's sacrifice fly brought in Leckie and a double from Forte scored Hipsman to extend the lead. Sprague-Lott brought in two with a single to left with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth. Toso scored on a wild pitch in the fifth to extend the lead to 8-1.

Mason got a run back in the top of the sixth after a one-out double was brought in with another double to trim the lead to 8-2.

The Spiders responded with a run of their own in the sixth when Sprague-Lott drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to score Leckie. Richmond hung its largest number of the day in the seventh, scoring three runs. After a walk and a hit batter put two on, a Masel single down the right field line scored one, and Hipsman added a double down the right field line to score two more.

Mason added two runs in the top of the eighth on a single and a pair of doubles before DeLarso held them off the board in the ninth.

The Spiders are back in action on Tuesday when they head to Lexington for a matchup with the VMI Keydets at 6 p.m.

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