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Baseball Takes Series From Wagner With 13-4 Rout Sunday At Pitt Field
March 21, 2010
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND - Phil Ruzbarsky, Derek Boliek and Cameron Brown each collected four hits as the Richmond baseball team rallied from an early deficit and throttled Wagner, 13-4, Sunday afternoon at Pitt Field to win the weekend series. The Spiders (10-8) struck for 11 unanswered runs in winning their seventh home game of the season - after trailing 1-0 after the first inning and 4-2 after the third. Averaging just less than 10 runs per game at Pitt Field, the Spider bats awoke in the fifth as Richmond pushed four across in the frame and never looked back. "It was great for us to be able to bounce back after Friday and take the series," said head coach Mark McQueen. "We responded and the offense really poured it on Saturday and Sunday and did a great job." Ruzbarsky and Boliek set career-highs in hits, while Brown matched his. Brown and Mike Mergenthaler, who ripped a two-run homer in the eighth inning, each had three RBIs. The 17 hits also matched the team's season-high (Ohio State). The Spiders loaded the bases in the fifth with Boliek singling to lead off and Mergenthaler and Billy Barber drawing back-to-back walks. Brown rifled a two-run single up the middle to tie the game and consecutive sacrifice flies from Chris Cowell and Even Stehle gave Richmond a lead it would not relinquish. The Spiders tacked on two more in the sixth and Mergenthaler's fourth home run of the season highlighted a five-run eighth inning. Junior Anthony Cafagna picked up his first victory (1-0) and battled over five innings with two strikeouts. The righty benefited from two inning-ending double plays turned by his defense - the second of which ended the fourth inning after Wagner got three consecutive singles with one out to load the bases. The bullpen slammed the door as Ian Marshall fired three scoreless innings in relief of Cafagna and Trent pitched a spotless ninth, fanning Jon Lucas looking for the final out. "We thrive on pitching and defense," said McQueen. "Anthony battled and got out of some jams, and the bullpen was very good today." Richmond is back in action Tuesday at George Mason (3 p.m.) before hosting Fordham next weekend at Pitt Field in the Atlantic 10 opener.
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