Rally Falls Short for Spider Baseball in Series Finale Against Mason

Sunday, March 31

Richmond, Va.

11:00 AM

University of Richmond

11-16, 2-1

George Mason

13-14, 1-2

George Mason

Richmond

Rally Falls Short for Spider Baseball in Series Finale Against Mason

03/31/2024 | Baseball

Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond baseball team fell short of collecting head coach Mik Aoki's his first Atlantic 10 Conference series sweep Sunday, falling 9-6 to George Mason at Pitt Field, after collecting the series in back-to-back walk off fashion on Friday (6-5) and Saturday (17-16, 10 innings).

Richmond, now 11-16 on the season and 2-1 in league play, heads to Farmville Tuesday to take on Longwood under the lights with first pitch set for 6 p.m.

Down 3-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth, Joey Wilga got the Spider offense going when he hit a 403-foot solo home run off the score board in left center field. Connor Larson got a base hit and took third on Aaron Whitley's double before Jordan Jaffe drew a walk to load the bases. Larson then scored on Phil Bernstein's sacrifice fly to make it 3-2.

Jason Shockey struck out but reached first on a wild pitch to keep the base loaded. Jake Topolski picked up Whitley and Jaffe with a base hit to left and give the Spiders a 4-3 lead.

Mason tallied two more runs in the sixth, three in the seventh and one in the eight to push their lead up to 9-4.

DJ Pacheco drew a pinch-hit lead-off walk in the bottom of the eighth. Jackson Hinchliffe took over for Pacheco on the base paths and took second on Topolski's walk. With two outs, Larson doubled to left center to pick up Hinchliffe and Topolski and put the Spiders within three runs at 9-6.

Esteban Rodriguez went five innings for the Spiders, allowing three runs on seven hits, three walks, one hit batter and five strikeouts. Davis Wallon tossed an inning, allowing two runs on two hits. Dane Armson took the loss, allowing two runs on two hits without collecting an out in the seventh. Cole Hentschel allowed a run on a hit and a walk and picked up a strikeout. Harrison Clifton got the final two outs in the seventh and tossed the eighth, allowing one run on two hits and walked two. Vincent Corso allowed a walk but struck out two to keep Mason off the board in the ninth.

Mason's closer retired the Spiders in order in the bottom of the ninth to escape a Richmond series sweep.