University of Richmond Athletics
Tuesday, March 30
Pitt Field
3 p.m.
University of Richmond
17
vs
5
Norfolk State
Photo by: Meg Lee
Spiders Smash Norfolk State to Win Fifth-Straight
03/30/2021 | Baseball
RICHMOND, Va. – Spider baseball picked up a decisive 17-5 win over Norfolk State on Tuesday evening at Pitt Field. The 17 runs are the most in a game this season, and the most since scoring 17 against Saint Louis on May 16th, 2019. The Spiders have now won five-straight, the longest winning streak of the season and longest since 2019 when the Spiders won five-straight from March 29-April 3. Richmond improves to 10-4 on the year as Norfolk State falls to 7-15.
Jordan Schulefand (Parkland, Fla.) started on the hill for the first time in his career. The redshirt junior worked 5.0 innings, allowing six hits, striking out four and allowed three earned runs. Antonio Balducci (Mechanicsville, Va.) tossed the sixth inning without allowing a run and recorded a strikeout.
Jarrad DeLarso (Marlton, N.J.) threw the seventh, giving up an unearned run on one hit. Josh Willitts (Southampton, N.J.) threw a shutout frame in the eighth and Eli Kimbell (New York, N.Y.) threw the ninth, allowing a run and striking out a pair.
The Spider offense went for 17 hits, led by a 4-for-6 effort from lead-off man Wyatt Ulrich (International Falls, Minn.). Ulrich tied a career-high in hits in a game, a record he set during his undergraduate career at St. John's (Minn.). Austin Masel (Stoneham, Mass.), Dominic Toso (Philadelphia, Pa.), Rich Ciufo (Medford, N.Y.) each tallied three hits and at least one RBI. Toso drove in four with a grand slam that was the cherry on top of the 14-run third inning.
Jared Sprague-Lott (Philadelphia, Pa.) added a 2-for-3 effort, driving in a run and scoring three times. Anthony Forte (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) and Drew Blakely (Galesburg, Mich.) each added a hit, drove in two and scored once.
Richmond broke open a scoreless ballgame in the bottom of the third, scoring 14 runs. It's the most runs in a single inning in the Tracy Woodson-era. The inning started with the bottom of the Spider lineup, as Sprague-Lott and Ciufo each singled. Ulrich put the pressure on with a bunt single, and a throwing error allowed the first run to score. Forte hammed a double to center to bring in another.
After an RBI ground out from Blakely, Masel doubled down the right field line followed by four-consecutive walks. Ciufo drove in a run with a sharp grounder through the left side. Ulrich followed with a double off the base of the wall in center to score two more. A Forte sac fly brought in another before a walk and a single loaded them up. Toso hammered his second home run in as many games, a three-run shot to bring in the final runs of the frame and put the Spiders up big at 14-0.
The Spiders added a solo run in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly from Blakely. Ulrich drove in two more in the fifth with a bases loaded single to extend the lead to 17-0.
Norfolk State got a couple runs back, scoring five over the final four innings on three home runs to cut the lead down to 17-5.
The Spiders are back in action on Friday as the head to Williamsburg for a matchup with the William & Mary Tribe at 6 p.m.
-- UR --
Jordan Schulefand (Parkland, Fla.) started on the hill for the first time in his career. The redshirt junior worked 5.0 innings, allowing six hits, striking out four and allowed three earned runs. Antonio Balducci (Mechanicsville, Va.) tossed the sixth inning without allowing a run and recorded a strikeout.
Jarrad DeLarso (Marlton, N.J.) threw the seventh, giving up an unearned run on one hit. Josh Willitts (Southampton, N.J.) threw a shutout frame in the eighth and Eli Kimbell (New York, N.Y.) threw the ninth, allowing a run and striking out a pair.
The Spider offense went for 17 hits, led by a 4-for-6 effort from lead-off man Wyatt Ulrich (International Falls, Minn.). Ulrich tied a career-high in hits in a game, a record he set during his undergraduate career at St. John's (Minn.). Austin Masel (Stoneham, Mass.), Dominic Toso (Philadelphia, Pa.), Rich Ciufo (Medford, N.Y.) each tallied three hits and at least one RBI. Toso drove in four with a grand slam that was the cherry on top of the 14-run third inning.
Jared Sprague-Lott (Philadelphia, Pa.) added a 2-for-3 effort, driving in a run and scoring three times. Anthony Forte (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) and Drew Blakely (Galesburg, Mich.) each added a hit, drove in two and scored once.
Richmond broke open a scoreless ballgame in the bottom of the third, scoring 14 runs. It's the most runs in a single inning in the Tracy Woodson-era. The inning started with the bottom of the Spider lineup, as Sprague-Lott and Ciufo each singled. Ulrich put the pressure on with a bunt single, and a throwing error allowed the first run to score. Forte hammed a double to center to bring in another.
After an RBI ground out from Blakely, Masel doubled down the right field line followed by four-consecutive walks. Ciufo drove in a run with a sharp grounder through the left side. Ulrich followed with a double off the base of the wall in center to score two more. A Forte sac fly brought in another before a walk and a single loaded them up. Toso hammered his second home run in as many games, a three-run shot to bring in the final runs of the frame and put the Spiders up big at 14-0.
The Spiders added a solo run in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly from Blakely. Ulrich drove in two more in the fifth with a bases loaded single to extend the lead to 17-0.
Norfolk State got a couple runs back, scoring five over the final four innings on three home runs to cut the lead down to 17-5.
The Spiders are back in action on Friday as the head to Williamsburg for a matchup with the William & Mary Tribe at 6 p.m.
-- UR --
Players Mentioned
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