Spider Baseball Takes Season Opening Series with Doubleheader Sweep

Saturday, February 14

Richmond, Va.

10:00 AM

University of Richmond

1-1

Monmouth

1-1

Monmouth

Richmond

Dylan Winebrenner gets a few steps off of first base

Spider Baseball Takes Season Opening Series with Doubleheader Sweep

02/14/2026 | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

RICHMOND, Va. – Richmond baseball collected the season opening series against Monmouth after sweeping the Saturday doubleheader at Pitt Field. The Spiders held the lead the whole contest in game one win 7-5, while overcoming a five-run first inning to win game two, 10-8.

Richmond (2-1) will head south to face No. 11 North Carolina on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 4 PM on ACCNX. UR heads back to Pitt Field for a Wednesday 1:30 PM contest against James Madison on ESPN+.

In game one, Richmond put together a four-run second frame to take a commanding 5-1 lead. After doubling to lead off the inning, Michael Elko scored the first run on a ground out. Jackson Kraemer scored from first on Noah Haught's first collegiate double to make it 3-1. Haught scored on Dylan Winebrenner's base hit before Khris Morris' hit by pitch forced in the fourth run of the frame.

Monmouth tallied two runs in the third and one in the fourth to get within two runs, but the Spiders answered with two more runs in the bottom of the inning. Elko picked up two more RBI with a base hit through the infield, scoring Sean Scanlon and Morris.

Spider starting pitcher Joey Giordano (1-0) collected the first win of the season after scattering four runs on four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts over five and a third of an inning of work. Chase Topolski collected the save after allowing just one run on one hit, two walks and four strikeouts over three and two-thirds of an inning of action.

Monmouth (1-2) jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first, knocking out UR starter Glenn Smith after recording just two outs. Kellen Heney allowed a walk then induced a fly out to get out of the frame.

Richmond chipped away at the deficit, starting with a Winebrenner home run in the bottom of the first. In the second, Elko scored on Grant Kennedy's sacrifice fly to right field to 5-2.

Elko tallied his first RBI of game two with a single to shallow left field to score Winebrenner from second to get within two runs.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Richmond offense kicked open the door to put up a five-run frame. Kennedy, who doubled to reach the base paths, scored on a squeeze bunt put down RJ Johnson Jr. With the bases loaded, Sean Scanlon pushed in Haught with a base hit to center. Morris picked up two RBI with a base hit to left before Scanlon scored on a ball four wild pitch drawn by Ryan Recio to push UR's lead to 8-5.

Monmouth got a run back in the fifth, pushing in a run on a bases loaded walk, but the Spiders took it back when Trevor Dosenbach scored on a Johnson Jr. sacrifice fly to center.

Richmond added a tenth run in the eighth inning when Chris Schaller stole third then scored on a throwing error by the Hawks catcher.

Monmouth got two runs in the top of the ninth with two outs off UR closer Khris Morris but ended the game one batter later with a fly out. Morris collected his first save as a Spider after playing at third and in left field, scattering one run on one hit with one strikeout.

Spider reliever Bijan Anvar (1-0) collected the win after scattering one run on three hits, a walk and two strikeouts in one and two-thirds of an inning of work. Mauricio Rodriguez tossed two scoreless frames, allowing two runners on via base on balls in his Spider debut. Freshmen Dom Ruggiero tallied a walk and a strikeout in his collegiate debut, while fellow rookie Evan Wilson tossed three innings, scattering a run on two hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Wilson struck out the side in the eighth, in just 10 pitches.