Five-Run Inning Spurs Spider Baseball Past Mountaineers

Sunday, March 5

Richmond, Va.

12 PM

University of Richmond

4-6

West Virginia

6-4

West Virginia

Richmond

Photo by: Keith Lucas/ Sideline Media

Five-Run Inning Spurs Spider Baseball Past Mountaineers

03/05/2023 | Baseball

Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond Baseball team posted a five-run sixth inning on West Virginia Sunday, collecting a 7-2 victory at Pitt Field. The win marks the first time since 2004, that the Spiders have beaten the Mountaineers, when UR collected a neutral site 21-13 victory.

The Spiders, now 4-6 on the season, tallied their fourth-straight victory at home. Richmond now is set to host Merrimack for two, starting Tuesday with first pitch set for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.

"I am ecstatic about our pitching performance over the past two days," head coach Tracy Woodson said. "With the injuries and guys missing, guys have answered the call and stepped up."

"With the amount of games we have over the next two weeks, we're going to have to rely on guys in tough situations. I am excited about the different contributions and strives the pitching staff has made."

UR starter Kyle Subers posted a strong two-inning outing, scattering two runs on two hits and striking out two batters.

Richmond got on the board in the second inning when Johnny Hipsman led off the frame with a solo home run to right. After beating the shift for a second time to lead off the fourth with a base hit, Hipsman scored on Chase Conklin's RBI single to left center to tie the game at 2-all.

Spider reliever Esteban Rodriguez kept the Mountaineers off the board four of his five innings of work. He struck out three in the first two innings, then got a double play to erase a WVU lead-off double in the fifth. In the sixth, WVU got two hits but the Spiders put together a massive defensive play to get out of the frame unscathed as Hipsman, Mikey Kluska and Zach Lass threw out the WVU runner at the plate.

Jake Elbeery got the UR bats started in the sixth with a lead-off single. Hipsman followed with his own single as Jared Sprague-Lott drew a nine-pitch walk to load the bases. Lass forced the first run home with an RBI base hit to left. After a WVU pitching change, Kluska pushed in Hipsman on a hit to right field. With two outs and the bases still loaded, Alden Mathes hit a bases-clearing double to right center to put the Spiders up 7-2.

WVU got a solo home run in the seventh off of Rodriguez. He then retired the next three Mountaineer hitters via ground outs.

Mathes moved from center field to the mound in the eighth, tossing two scoreless frames for his second save of the season. Mathes allowed two hits, walked two and struck out four.