Mathes Hits Two Home Runs, Spiders Late Rally Falls Short

Friday, February 24

Richmond, Va.

1:30 PM

University of Richmond

0-5

Yale

1-0

Yale

Richmond

Photo by: Keith Lucas

Mathes Hits Two Home Runs, Spiders Late Rally Falls Short

02/24/2023 | Baseball

Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – University of Richmond Baseball scored in each of the first four innings to tie the game at 5-all, but a late inning rally fell short Friday as Richmond dropped a 9-6 decision to Yale at Pitt Field.

The Saturday matchup between the Spiders and Bulldogs is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch on ESPN+ at Pitt Field.

Down three after a half inning, Alden Mathes got the Spiders on the board with his first home run of the season, hitting a solo blast to right field.

Richmond starter Josh Willitts regrouped to toss a scoreless second and the Spider offense responded and tied the game at 3-all. Jake Elbeery got the bats going in the frame, tallying the first of his three base hits on the day. Mikey Kluska legged out a double to have two on and no outs for Christian Beal, who to hit in Elbeery. Kluska came home on a fielder's choice knock.

Willitts allowed five runs on six hits, four walks and one hit batter, with two strikeouts over three innings.

Yale scored twice in the top of the third on three hits and a hit batter. Mathes picked up an outfield assist to end the Bulldogs scoring, throwing out the runner in plenty of time, connecting with Jason Neff at the plate.

Rookie Jordan Jaffe led off the bottom of the third with his first collegiate hit, sending a base hit back through the middle. Jared Sprague-Lott picked up a base hit while Elbeery followed with a one-out walk to load the bases. Jaffe scored on Kluska's sacrifice fly to deep right field to cut into the Bulldogs lead, 5-4.

Mathes led off the bottom of the fourth with his second home run of the day, disposing the ball in the new right field seating area to tie the game at 5-all.

Richmond reliever Brenden Argomaniz opened his four-inning outing with two scoreless frames. Argomaniz only allowed one run on five hits and one walk, completing his performance with back-to-back strikeouts in the seventh.

The Yale offense got to the Spiders third reliever Jimmy Starnes in the final two frames. Starnes gave up three runs, two earned, on three walks and one hit with a hit batter. Harrison Clifton got the final two outs of the ninth via the strikeout.

Pinch hitter Chase Conklin started the Spiders ninth inning rally by drawing a full-count walk. With two outs, Matt Stinebiser laced an RBI double to right center to score Conklin from second, collecting hit first hit and RBI as a Spider. Beal extended the inning with a 10-pitch at bat with a single, but the Bulldogs closer got the strikeout to end the game.