University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
22-24, 11-7
VCU
23-27, 9-10
Big Seventh Inning Powers Spiders Past VCU
05/13/2023 | Baseball
The second game of the weekend series has been moved up to 11:30 a.m. on ESPN+ due to inclement weather Saturday.
The Spiders struck first as all nine Richmond (22-24, 11-7 A-10) batters registered at least one hit in the victory. After reaching with a base hit through the infield, Jared Sprague-Lott then scored from first on Johnny Hipsman's double in the first. With the hit, Hipsman extended his hit-streak to 19 games and on-base streak to 27 games.
VCU took the lead in the bottom of the first on a three-run home run before picking up a fourth run on a sacrifice fly off UR starter Brock Weirather.
Jordan Jaffe tied the game in the third inning with a three-run home run at 4-all, for his 10th home run this season and eighth in a league game.
The Rams tacked on another run in the fourth off Weirather to regain a 5-4 lead. Weirather would be lifted after three innings after allowing five runs on six hits and one hit batter and one strikeout. VCU put four more runs on four hits on Richmond reliever Esteban Rodriguez in the fourth, for a 9-4 lead.
The Spiders started chipping away at the Rams lead in the fifth. With the bases loaded in the fifth, UR forced in a run on Jake Elbeery walk with the bases loaded. Sprague-Lott collected his team-leading 13th home run of the season to put UR within three, 9-6 in the sixth.
After VCU got a single run in the bottom of the frame, the Richmond offense exploded for seven runs in the top of the seventh. Alden Mathes and Jason Neff drew back-to-back walks before Mathes scored on Christian Beal's base hit. Neff then scored on Chase Conklin's base hit, to put the Spiders within two. Sprague-Lott then forced in Beal after drawing a bases loaded walk making it 10-9. Hipsman cleared the bases with his second double of the game and gave the Spiders a 12-10 lead. Mathes batted a second time in the inning, scoring Hipsman and UR's seventh run of the game, making it 13-10.
Rodriguez tossed three more scoreless frames, striking out two Rams in the seventh and ninth innings. Rodriguez, picking up his third win of the season, allowed five runs on eight hits, a walk and a hit batter, while striking out six batters in six innings of work.
Richmond added three runs in the eighth inning. Conklin hit a two-RBI base hit to right before scoring on Hipsman sacrifice fly. Hipsman collected five RBI on three hits and scored twice while Beal picked up three hits, a walk, two runs scored and an RBI.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rodriguez, Esteban (3-2)
L: Ellis, C. (5-5)
Batting:
2B: Hipsman, Johnny 3
HR: Sprague-Lott, Jared 1 ; Jaffe, Jordan 1
RBI: Sprague-Lott, Jared 2 ; Hipsman, Johnny 5 ; Jaffe, Jordan 3 ; Mathes, Alden 1 ; Beal, Christian 1 ; Elbeery, Jake 1 ; Conklin, Chase 3
SH: Elbeery, Jake 1
SF: Hipsman, Johnny 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sprague-Lott, Jared 4 ; Hipsman, Johnny 2 ; Jaffe, Jordan 2 ; Mathes, Alden 1 ; Neff, Jason 2 ; Beal, Christian 2 ; Conklin, Chase 2 ; Kluska, Mikey 1
CS: Mathes, Alden 1
HBP: Sprague-Lott, Jared 1 ; Mathes, Alden 1
Batting:
2B: Eike, B. 2
3B: Bean, W. 1 ; Thilges, J. 1
HR: Mathis, AJ 1 ; Eike, B. 2
RBI: Mathis, AJ 2 ; Eike, B. 5 ; Carlone, W. 1 ; Thilges, J. 1 ; Benzin, C. 1
SF: Carlone, W. 1 ; Thilges, J. 1 ; Benzin, C. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mathis, AJ 2 ; Bean, W. 3 ; Eike, B. 3 ; Thilges, J. 1 ; Boone, G. 1
SB: Boone, G. 1
CS: Thilges, J. 1
HBP: Bean, W. 1 ; Amiss, L. 1
