Feb. 29, 2008

Box Score

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Playing the comeback roll for a second game in a row, the Richmond baseball team scored six unanswered runs in the in the final four innings to tie Bucknell, 7-7, Friday afternoon at Pitt Field. With three hits and an RBI, Joe White extended his hitting streak to six games, while Hank Coogan did the same with a pair of base hits.

With the Spiders trailing 7-1 heading to the seventh inning, Cameron Brown ripped a single up the middle that plated Austin Reilly from second base to make the score 7-3. Coogan singled ahead of Brown and Derrick Boliek, who singled to lead off the inning, scored when the relay throw from the outfield wasn't handled cleanly by the Bison.

In the eighth, Coogan roped a two-out double down the left field line and followed by a single from Brown, Ryan Metzroth's single scored Coogan. For the second game in a row, Evan Stehle tied the game, lacing an infield single to score Brown.

Wednesday, Richmond (2-3-1) followed much the same script when rallying to beat Longwood, 7-6, in 10 innings. Richmond trailed 6-1 heading to the bottom of the eighth before scoring six unanswered runs to claim victory. For Bucknell (0-2-2), oddly enough, it marks the team's second tie of the season - a similar 7-7 draw to Eastern Kentucky last week in Richmond, Ky.

Richmond threatened to end it in the ninth, loading the bases with one out but reliever Jimmy Murphy was able to get both Coogan and Brown to pop out and end the threat. It was Coogan's single in the 10th inning Wednesday that produced the game-winner.

After a scoreless 10th inning, the game was called due to darkness.

Bucknell drew first blood, jumping on sophomore starter Matt Zielinski with two runs in the top of the first inning as Ben Allen led the game off with a double followed by a home run by Dean Grandizio.

The visitors extended the advantage to 6-0 in the fourth, thanks to a leadoff solo homer from Chris Pieper and an RBI double from Bret Sokirka.

Richmond would get one back in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single from Barber.

Zielinski lasted just 3.1 innings, giving way to the Spider bullpen that allowed just one run over the balance of the game. Freshman Anthony Cafagna entered with one out in the fourth and shut the Bison down over the next three innings.

Seeing his first collegiate action, Cafagna fanned five and allowed one run - a sac fly from B.J. LaRosa in the sixth to score Ed Rubbo - and scattered four hits. Jay Joines, Daniel Clark and Barber did the rest. The trio yielded one hit and one walk, while the comeback kids went to work offensively.

White finished three-for-six with an RBI, while Coogan, Mergenthaler, Brown and Metzroth each collected two hits as the Spiders pounded out 14.

The tie is Richmond's first since the 1998 season.

The Spiders return to action tomorrow, hosting Seton Hall in doubleheader that starts at noon. Bucknell returns to Pitt Field Sunday at 1 p.m.