Feb. 28, 2006

Box Score

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond baseball managed just four hits Tuesday at Pitt Field, falling to the VMI Keydets, 6-0, in the first of two-straight midweek contests. Richmond, which drops to 1-6 overall, will be on the road Wednesday, March 1, to face William & Mary at 3 p.m. in Williamsburg, Va. VMI improves to 9-3 with the shutout win.

After a quick top half of the first, Richmond threatened by getting runners at second and third with two outs. Nothing resulted as sophomore Hank Coogan flew out to the end the inning. The Keydets, however, plated their first run of the game in the next half inning on a two-out RBI-single to center.

VMI added another two-out RBI single in the third to take a 2-0 lead. Richmond senior Ben Zeskind picked up his second-straight hit on the day with a double to right in the third, but was stranded at third after two groundouts.

Freshman Cameron Brown logged one of Richmond's four hits with a two-out single down the rightfield line in the fourth, but a flyout from freshman Victor Croglio ended the inning and stranded Brown at second.

The Keydets notched four more two-out runs -- one each in the fifth and sixth, and two in the eighth. Meanwhile, Zeskind logged his third-straight hit of the day, a single in the fifth. That base knock was the only hit allowed by VMI reliever John Phelps. Phelps, who replaced Keydet starter Michael Bowman in the fifth, retired 15 of the next 17 he faced to pick up his first save of the season. Bowman ended his day picking up the win by allowing three hits and three walks, while striking out two.

Three Richmond pitchers, including senior Jason Bolinski, sophomore Brian Alas and junior Lane Holby combined to allow six runs on 16 hits and two walks. The threesome fanned eight, while Bolinski took the loss.

Richmond gets right back at it Wednesday, March 1, when they travel to William & Mary for a 3 p.m. first pitch. George Thibeault and Scott Meyer will call all the action at RichmondSpiders.com beginning five minutes prior to the first pitch.

Game Notes:
-- Richmond's four hits were the fewest recorded by the Spiders since managing just three hits against Duquesne, May 15, 2005.
-- Sophomore Brian Alas' three strikeouts put him only 30 away from reaching the 100-strikeout mark for his career.
-- Senior Ben Zeskind extended his hit streak to six games by garnering a hit in each of his first three at-bats.
-- The Spiders have given up 24 two-out RBI since the beginning of the season, and allowed a total of 49 runs.
-- Richmond has now lost three-straight to the Keydets dating back to the 2004 season.