Three Spiders Homer in Big Win Over George Mason

Friday, May 6

Richmond, Va.

11 AM

University of Richmond

22-19, 7-9

George Mason

17-28, 8-8

George Mason

Richmond

05/06/2022 | Baseball

Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond baseball offense needed just three big innings to power the squad past George Mason, 13-5, to take the first game of the Atlantic 10 Conference series Friday at Pitt Field. Richmond improves to 22-19 on the year and 7-9 in A-10 action, while George Mason moves to 17-28 on the season and 8-8 in league play.

Game two is set for a noon first pitch at Pit Field Saturday on ESPN+. Prior to first pitch, the 20^th Anniversary ceremony for the 2002 Richmond Super Regional squad will start at 11:30 a.m.

The Richmond offense broke through in the third, getting a jump start with a walk by Zach Lass (Mechanicsville, Va.). With two outs, Christian Beal (Flossmoor, Ill.) singled in Lass to break up the no-hitter and put the Spiders on the board. Alden Mathes (Broomall, Pa.) laced a hit into the outfield that Mason couldn't handle to not only score Beal from first but slide home safely to put Richmond up 3-0. On a 3-1 pitch, Dominic Toso (Philadelphia, Pa.) launched his seventh home run of the season in his first game back after sitting out for seven games to center field. Johnny Hipsman (Chester, N.Y.) hit a no-doubter to right field construction area to put the Spiders up 5-0.

Spider starter Brock Weirather (Polk City, Fla.) took his no-hitter to the fifth inning, collecting three strikeouts in the first four frames. Mason tagged Weirather with three runs, on two home runs and a base hit, to cut into Richmond's lead, 5-3 in the fifth. The Patriots threatened in the seventh, but Weirather worked around a single and a walk to keep them off the board. Weirather gave up three runs on five hits, a walk and a hit batter while striking out five in seven innings of work.

Jason Neff (West Palm Beach, Fla.) got the Spiders going in the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot to left. After D.J. Pacheco (Danvers, Mass.) reached via hit by pitch, Toso laced a two-out double to center to score Pacheco for a 7-3 lead. Hipsman traded places with Toso, collecting his own double before scoring on Jared Sprague-Lott's (Philadelphia, Pa.) base hit, expanding Richmond's lead to 9-3.

Mason got two runs in the top of the eighth off of Spider reliever Eli Larson (Mill Valley, Calif.) Larson tossed two innings, including three fly outs in the top of the ninth, allowing two runs on one hit, two walks and one strike out.

Neff and Pacheco started the eighth with back-to-back hits and Beal loaded the bases after drawing a walk. Mathes drew a walk to pick up his third RBI of the day and tally the Spiders' 10^th run of the game. Toso notched his third hit of the day and third RBI with a base hit. After a Mason pitching change and with no outs, Hipsman collected two RBI with a long single off the left field wall to give Richmond a final score of 13-5.