Spiders Advance Past Mason; Face Saint Louis Friday

Thursday, May 26

Davidson, NC

1:30 PM

University of Richmond

#5 George Mason

05/26/2022 | Baseball

Box Score

DAVIDSON, N.C. – The seven-seed University of Richmond baseball team eliminated the five-seed George Mason Thursday, 7-3, to advance in the elimination side of the 2022 Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament bracket.

The Spiders, selected in the preseason to finish eighth, moves to 28-25 on the season. Due to inclement weather forecasted in the area, Richmond will face three-seed Saint Louis Friday, with first pitch set for noon at Wilson Field.

UR jumped on Mason in the top of the first, scoring two runs on four hits and a walk, as the first five Spider batters all reached. Johnny Hipsman (Chester, N.Y.) picked up Mathes with a double to left center for the first run. Jason Neff (West Palm Beach, Fla.) followed with a double of his own to score Toso and hand starting pitcher Brenden Argomaniz (Claremont, Calif.) a 2-0 lead before throwing a pitch.

Argomaniz tossed four and a third scoreless innings for the Spiders. He allowed five hits, two walks and a hit batter to reach, while striking out two. Josh Willitts (Southampton, N.J.) took over with one out and two on in the fifth, getting a fly ball out and a foul pop up to end the Mason offensive threat.

The Richmond bats put together a five-run sixth inning to break open the game. After Hipsman led off the inning with a single to left, Neff launched a two-run home run for his ninth long ball of the season. Jake Elbeery (North Andover, Mass.) drew a walk and moved to second on Jared Sprague-Lott's (Philadelphia, Pa.) base hit. With one out, D.J. Pacheco (Danvers, Mass.) picked up an RBI-single to tally the Spiders third run of the inning. Alden Mathes (Broomall, Pa.) then sprinted around the bases to collect his fifth triple of the season and clear the bases to put Richmond up 7-0.

After the Spiders left the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, the Patriots answered with three runs, a solo home run and a two-run home run, all on two outs in the bottom of the frame.

Willitts buckled down to collect his second save of the season, throwing four and two-thirds innings in relief. He allowed three earned runs on four hits and a hit batter while striking out five.