Spiders Walk-Off Wildcats for A-10 Tournament Berth

Thursday, May 18

Richmond, Va.

2 PM

University of Richmond

24-26, 12-9

Davidson

29-10, 15-6

Davidson

Richmond

05/18/2023 | Baseball

Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – Down two runs with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Richmond Baseball's Mikey Kluska doubled in two runs, then a third scored on a Davidson miscue on the relay from right center to give the Spiders a 11-10 walk-off victory in the opening game of the Atlantic 10 Conference series Thursday afternoon at Pitt Field.

With the win, Richmond (24-26, 12-9 A-10) secured a spot in the 2023 Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament, set to start Tuesday, May 23, hosted by VCU at The Diamond. Game two of the Davidson (29-10, 15-6) series is set for Friday at Pitt Field with first pitch at 2 PM on ESPN+.

In the bottom of the ninth, Christian Beal got the Spiders going with a one-out hit followed by Jake Elbeery reaching on an infield error. Jason Neff loaded the bases with a single to left. Davidson got two strikeouts before Kluska walked to the plate.

Down 6-0 in the third, the Spiders broke up the no-hitter on Jared Sprague-Lott's two out single. Sprague-Lott then scored from first on Johnny Hipsman's double to the gap in right center.

In the seventh, Sprague-Lott legged out a double in short right field to tally the Spiders second run on Hipsman's second double of the game. Hipsman then scored on a fielder's choice on ball put into play by Alden Mathes to make it 7-3. Jordan Jaffe, who reached after drawing a walk, scored on Christian Beal's double down the left field line while Mathes trotted home on Jake Elbeery's sacrifice fly to put the Spiders within two, 7-5. On a 2-1 pitch, Jason Neff tied the game with a two-run home run, his fifth of the season, to tie the game.

Davidson's first batter in the top of the sixth retook the lead with a first pitch solo shot, but Hipsman answered with a solo shot of his own to center field to tie the game again.

Richmond reliever Brenden Argomaniz tossed a scoreless seventh and eighth, wiggling out of trouble in the eighth with back-to-back strikeouts to strand two Wildcats. The Wildcats hit a two-run home run in the top of the ninth to take a 10-8 lead. Argomaniz tossed five and two-thirds of an inning in relief of UR starter Brock Weirather. Argomaniz scattered four runs on five hits, five walks and five strikeouts. Weirather went two and two-thirds, giving up six runs on six hits and three walks with four strikeouts.

Cole Hentchel collected his first win as a Spider after striking out the final two Wildcat batters in the ninth.