Hipsman’s 2-HR Day Blasts Spider Baseball Past Merrimack

Tuesday, March 7

Richmond, Va.

1 PM

University of Richmond

Merrimack

Photo by: Keith Lucas

Hipsman’s 2-HR Day Blasts Spider Baseball Past Merrimack

03/07/2023 | Baseball

Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond Baseball team collected their third straight victory, and fourth at home, Tuesday with a 13-10 decision over Merrimack College at Pitt Field.

Richmond, now 4-6 on the season, and Merrimack will face off again Wednesday at Pitt Field with a 1 p.m. first pitch on ESPN+.

Jason Neff got the Spiders on the board quickly, hitting a two-run home run to left field in the bottom of the first.

The Warriors got single runs in the second and fourth off of Richmond starter Vincent Corso to tie the game at 2-all. Corso picked up the win, his first of the season, after scattering two runs, one earned, on three hits and striking out five.

Johnny Hipsman, on a five-game hit streak, broke up the tie with a lead-off solo home run to left field in the fourth. Jake Elbeery scored the Spiders second run of the frame when he came home on a ground out.

With base hits by Christian Beal and Alden Mathes, Neff drew a walk to load the bases in the fifth. Elbeery and Jared Sprague-Lott both drew walks to force in Beal and Mathes for the first two runs of the inning. Neff scored on a ground out before Conklin picked up Elbeery and Sprague-Lott with a base hit to left. Mikey Kluska legged out his third triple of the season to score Conklin from first then tallied the seventh run of the inning on a Merrimack fielding error for a 11-2 lead.

Dane Armson took over for Corso in the fifth, striking out the side in order. Merrimack roared back in the top of the sixth, posting five runs on four hits and a Richmond error, cutting into the Spiders lead, 11-7. Armson finished his outing scattering five unearned runs on four hits and four strikeouts over an inning and two-thirds. Harrison Clifton ended the Warriors sixth with a strikeout.

Richmond got a run back in the bottom of the seventh. Matt Stinebiser drew a lead-off walk, and his pinch runner Jake Topolski scored on a bases loaded fielder's choice by the Merrimack first baseman to push the Spiders lead to 12-7.

Hipsman tallied his second homerun of the day with a solo shot down the right field line to kick off the eighth inning to put UR up 13-7.

Clifton posted two scoreless innings before Merrimack put up three runs on three hits and a UR error in the top of the ninth, cutting into UR's lead, 13-10. Clifton scattered three runs, one earned, on five hits, a walk and four strikeouts in three and a third of an inning for his longest career outing on the mound.