Spider Baseball Splits Doubleheader with George Washington

Saturday, May 15

Washington, D.C

12 PM

University of Richmond

16-14, 2-8

George Washington

24-13, 13-5

Richmond

George Washington

Photo by: Spiders Athletics

Spider Baseball Splits Doubleheader with George Washington

05/15/2021 | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score (PDF) Game 1 Box Score (PDF) Game 2

ARLINGTON, Va. – After a 7^th-inning rally fell short in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, Colby Wyatt (Glendale, Ariz.) did his best to give Richmond the win in the nightcap. Richmond dropped game one 7-5, despite scoring three runs and bringing the winning run to the plate in the final inning. Wyatt tossed his third complete game of the season and his first shutout as the Spiders took the nightcap 5-0. Richmond improves to 17-14 and 3-8 in Atlantic 10 play. George Washington moves to 24-14, and 13-6.

Jeremy Neff (West Palm Beach, Fla.) got the start in game one. Neff threw 2.0 innings, allowing four earned runs and struck out one, suffering the loss. Brenden Argomaniz (Claremont, Calif.) was first on in relief. He threw 2.0 innings, allowing three earned runs. Antonio Balducci (Hanover, Va.) worked a third of an inning, getting a flyout before giving way to Collin Lowe (Ridgefield, Conn.). Lowe worked the final 1.2 innings, allowing just one hit and a strikeout without giving up a run.

Wyatt handled everything on the mound in the second game. Using 103 pitches to throw all seven frames. He struck out six, three of which came over the last two innings as he helped the Spiders snap a seven-game losing streak.

The offense had 16 hits on the day, 10 of which came in game one. It was the top of the order that did the damage in the first game as Wyatt Ulrich (Indus, Minn.), Jared Sprague-Lott (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Drew Blakely (Galesburg, Mich.) combined for five hits, three runs and two RBI. Dan Leckie (Suffield, Conn.) added a 2-for-3 game with an RBI. Johnny Hipsman (Chester, N.Y.), Anthony Forte (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) and Rich Ciufo (Medford, N.Y.) all had a hit in the first game.

The bottom of the order got the job done in the nightcap, led by a pair of two hit games from Alden Mathes (Broomall, Pa.) and Ciufo. Leckie and Zach Lass (Mechanicsville, Va.) each added a hit. Leckie, Mathes, Jordan Schulefand (Parkland, Fla.) and Ciufo all had RBI. Mathes hit his first home run of the season, and the second of his career as part of his two hit-effort.

The Colonials didn't waste any time getting on the board in game one, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. Three-consecutive singles began the frame and brought a run in. A fly out to right moved both up and a ground ball to the right side brought in the second run.

George Washington got a two-out rally to score a pair in the bottom of the second. A single from the nine-hole hitter of the Colonial lineup got the rally going before a double from Cade Fergus brought in a run. Another single from Steve DiTomaso scored another to extend the lead to 4-0.

Richmond got on the board in the top of the third. Ciufo started the rally with a double to the gap in left center, and moved up when Sprague-Lott singled to center field. Blakely delivered the first Spider run of the game with a single through the left side to cut it to 4-1, Colonials.

GW rallied again in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three times. A hit batter led off the inning, followed by a triple to score the first run. A squeeze play brought in the second run before a single from Anthony Frechette extended the lead to 7-1.

The Spiders responded in the sixth with a run. Blakely led off with a double and Hipsman traded places with him after doubling to left center.

Richmond rallied in the seventh, bringing the go-ahead run to the plate. Chris Rinaldi (Westfield, N.J.) was hit by a pitch to start the inning and Ulrich reached with an infield hit. Sprague-Lott brought the first run in with a single through the right side, and Toso drove in another with a sacrifice fly. Leckie hammered a single back up the middle to cut the lead down to 7-5 and forcing George Washington to go to the bullpen. With two on, Richmond couldn't extend the game as a fly out to centerfield ended the rally in game one.

An error got the action going in the second game as the Spiders scored four in the second inning. Toso reached on a throwing error and moved to second when the throw kicked out of play. Leckie doubled to right center to bring in Toso and scored on a Mathes single. Schulefand reached on a squeeze play as the Colonial pitcher tried to get Leckie at home, but couldn't make the play. Ciufo drove in Mathes with a sacrifice fly. The final run came in with Schulefand on third, he baited the Colonial pitcher to try to pick him off and a throwing error allowed him to score to put Richmond up 4-0.

Mathes added to the lead in the bottom of the fifth, connecting on his first homer this season, second of his career to extend the lead to 5-0.

Wyatt ensured the win as he allowed just two base runners over the final two innings, both coming on walks and he picked up his sixth strikeout of the evening on the 21^st out.

The Spiders and Colonials wrap up the series tomorrow at noon for a single nine-inning contest at Tucker Field.

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