University of Richmond Athletics
Spider Baseball Edges Merrimack, 3-2, for Fourth Straight Win
03/08/2023 | Baseball
RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond Baseball team picked up the squad's fourth straight win with a 3-2 victory over Merrimack Wednesday at Pitt Field.
Richmond, now 6-6 on the season, have four more games at Pitt Field during UR's Spring Break, starting with a three-game series against Rider beginning on Friday with a 1:30 p.m. start. The Spiders then host Princeton on Monday.
The Spiders got on the board first in the bottom of the second as Mikey Kluska ripped a two-RBI single through the middle of the infield to push Zach Lass and Jared Sprague-Lott in. Lass reached after getting hit by a pitch and moved to second on Sprague-Lott's four-pitch walk.
Merrimack answered in the top of the third, cutting the Spiders lead in half with an RBI ground out. The Warriors got their second run in the fourth on a ground out to tie the game.
Richmond starter Jake Michel tossed two scoreless frames to begin his appearance. Over his full four innings of work, Michel allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits, and a walk with four strikeouts.
The first Spider reliever called upon, Cole Hentschel, tossed a scoreless fifth, getting out of a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout.
Chase Topolski took the rock from Hentschel to continue the scoreless relief appearances in the sixth. Topolski didn't allow a hit, but hit three batters and struck out one over two innings of work to get his first collegiate victory.
Johnny Hipsman came through for the Spiders at the plate in the seventh. With Christian Beal and Jordan Jaffe reaching after getting hit and drawing a walk respectively, Hipsman hit a two-out bloop double to left to score Beal before Jaffe was called out on a play at the plate to end the inning.
Brian Reinke tossed the eighth for Richmond giving up one hit and a walk and struck out one. Jimmy Starnes picked up his first save of the season with a spotless ninth, striking out two.
Richmond, now 6-6 on the season, have four more games at Pitt Field during UR's Spring Break, starting with a three-game series against Rider beginning on Friday with a 1:30 p.m. start. The Spiders then host Princeton on Monday.
The Spiders got on the board first in the bottom of the second as Mikey Kluska ripped a two-RBI single through the middle of the infield to push Zach Lass and Jared Sprague-Lott in. Lass reached after getting hit by a pitch and moved to second on Sprague-Lott's four-pitch walk.
Merrimack answered in the top of the third, cutting the Spiders lead in half with an RBI ground out. The Warriors got their second run in the fourth on a ground out to tie the game.
Richmond starter Jake Michel tossed two scoreless frames to begin his appearance. Over his full four innings of work, Michel allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits, and a walk with four strikeouts.
The first Spider reliever called upon, Cole Hentschel, tossed a scoreless fifth, getting out of a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout.
Chase Topolski took the rock from Hentschel to continue the scoreless relief appearances in the sixth. Topolski didn't allow a hit, but hit three batters and struck out one over two innings of work to get his first collegiate victory.
Johnny Hipsman came through for the Spiders at the plate in the seventh. With Christian Beal and Jordan Jaffe reaching after getting hit and drawing a walk respectively, Hipsman hit a two-out bloop double to left to score Beal before Jaffe was called out on a play at the plate to end the inning.
Brian Reinke tossed the eighth for Richmond giving up one hit and a walk and struck out one. Jimmy Starnes picked up his first save of the season with a spotless ninth, striking out two.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Topolski, Chase (1-1)
L: LOGIE (0-1)
S: Starnes, Jimmy (1)
Batting:
2B: ELLIOTT 1
RBI: HABA 1 ; GEMELLI 1
SH: SCANLON 1
Base Running:
RUNS: ELLIOTT 1 ; FERRENTINO 1
SB: GEMELLI 1
CS: SCANLON 1
HBP: ELLIOTT 1 ; HABA 2 ; BOND 1

Batting:
2B: Hipsman, Johnny 1
RBI: Hipsman, Johnny 1 ; Kluska, Mikey 2
SH: Elbeery, Jake 1 ; Lass, Zach 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Beal, Christian 1 ; Lass, Zach 1 ; Sprague-Lott, Jared 1
SB: Kluska, Mikey 1
HBP: Beal, Christian 1 ; Lass, Zach 1
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
DIII Transfer Brady O' Brien Staying Hot at the Plate
Wednesday, May 07
Hot Hitting from the Hot Corner: Brady O' Brien
Wednesday, May 07
Baseball Highlights vs. UMASS
Sunday, April 13
Baseball Postgame - UMASS
Sunday, April 13