March 15, 2003

Box Score

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond junior A.J. Board (Raleigh, N.C.) ripped a two-run, sixth-inning double down the left field line that lifted the Spiders to a 2-1 lead against VCU at Pitt Field. Right-hander Tim Stauffer (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) cemented the lead, improving to 3-0 with his second complete game.

Trailing 1-0 after a solo home run from VCU left fielder Jose Pabon in the third, the 12th-ranked Spiders put together the two-run rally that propelled them to their eighth-straight win. Freshman Ben Zeskind (Miami, Fla.), who finished the game with two of the Spiders' five hits, singled up the middle to start the frame. After Vito Chiaravalloti's (Middletown, N.J.) sacrifice bunt and a strikeout, Michael Galligan (Woodbury, N.Y.) grounded an infield single off VCU starter Justin Orenduff's glove. Board then delivered his game-winning double down the left-field line, improving Richmond's record to 10-0 at Pitt Field.

Zeskind provided a pivotal defensive play in the eighth, snagging an Anthony Granato line drive with a Ram runner on third. He finished out the inning by beating VCU's Eric Latura back to the bag.

Stauffer, a preseason All-American, stuck out nine while allowing only four hits. Orenduff fell to 2-2 on the season after allowing two runs on five hits in 5.1 innings. The right-hander struck out a career-high 13 and walked three.

Richmond improves to 13-1, while VCU falls to 15-5. The Spiders and Rams conclude the series tomorrow, Sunday, March 15 back at the Diamond. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.