Feb. 22, 2004

Box Score

CHARLESTON, S.C. - The University of Richmond baseball team was lead by senior A.J. Board, who tallied two home runs, as they defeated West Virginia, 21-13, in its final game of the Charleston Crab House Shootout, this afternoon. The Spiders won all three contests in Charleston and post an 8-0 record in the tournament since 2002.

In the first, West Virginia opened the game with a triple to center field from Jake Serfass, followed by a single up the middle from Lee Fritz, which sent Serfass across the plate giving the Mountaineers a 1-0 lead.

In the second, Mountaineer Tim Edmeads hit a double to right field and scored when lead off batter, Casey Bowling reached base on an error by Spider freshman Anthony Sandstrom (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.).

The Spiders responded in the bottom of the inning scoring four runs on one hit. The bases were loaded with Chris Dolan (Holmdel, N.J.), who reached base on an error, David Thomas (McLean, Va.) and A.J. Board (Raleigh, N.C.), who both reached base on balls when sophomore Ben Zeskind (Miami, Fla.) was walked, scoring Dolan. Jim Fasano (Horsham, Pa.) reached first on a walk, scoring Board and loading the bases for sophomore Andrew Justice (Henderson, N.C.) who singled to right field, allowing Zeskind to score. The inning ended with a score of 4-2.

West Virginia scored three runs in both the third and the fourth, making the score, 8-4 going into the bottom of the fourth. Junior left-hander Tim Rice (Brookfield, Conn.) and freshman Rob Berzinskas (Clinton, Conn.) took over for Bolinski and split time during the fourth. Berzinskas stayed in until the seventh and clinched his first win of his college career.

Richmond answered in the bottom of the fourth when Fasano blasted a three-run homer over the right field wall, scoring Bryan Pritz (Willmette, Ill) and Zeskind. The Spiders claimed the 9-8 lead when Board stroked a two run RBI to right field.

In the sixth, West Virginia tied the contest at nine when Fasano threw the ball over the catcher's head, allowing the run to score.

The Spiders regained the lead, 10-9, when Fasano smashed his third dinger, of the season and the tournament, over the right-center field wall. Board added to the lead when he blasted a three-run home run, over the left field wall. Pinch runner Matt McKenna (Richmond, Va.) plated when Zeskind singled to right field and Sandstrom scored off a wild pitch. Richmond scored six runs off four hits in the sixth and the score stood at 15-9.

The Mountaineers threatened in the seventh when they scored four runs to come within two, 15-13. The first run scored off a throwing error by third baseman McKenna and three scored when Travis D'Amico doubled down the right field line.

Board cracked his second home run of the game in the seventh, scoring Josh Farkes (Boston, Mass.) and Dolan. In the eighth, Board broke the Spiders' record for most RBI in a single game, with 10, when he doubled to left field allowing Farkes and Justice to score.