April 22, 2009

Box Score

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND - Sophomore DH Billy Barber launched a pair of home runs, finishing the game with three hits and five RBI, as the Richmond baseball team defeated Old Dominion, 12-7, Wednesday at Pitt Field. The Spiders have won three of their last five and improved to 17-17 with a pivotal Atlantic 10 series at St. Bonaventure this weekend.

Barber collected the fourth multi-homer game of his career as Richmond won for the fourth time in the last six meetings versus the Monarchs. Freshman 2B Adam McConnell went three-for-four with three RBI and his 20th stolen base of the season, while freshman CF Phil Ruzbarsky also had three of Richmond's 14 hits.

Although leading 6-2 through four innings, the Spiders had to rally with six runs in the seventh and eighth after Old Dominion (16-21) pulled even with a run in the fifth and three more in the sixth.

Sophomore Mike Mergenthaler singled to lead off the seventh inning and Barber followed with a towering shot over the left-field fence to drive in his classmate and give Richmond the lead at 8-6, putting sophomore reliever Billy Falasco in line for his first collegiate win (1-3).

Barber pitched the top of the eighth and allowed a run with a strikeout, but stepped to the plate again in the bottom half - and with two aboard and one out - blasted his fifth homer of the season and the 18th of his young career over the wall in center to put Richmond up 12-7.

Making his 100th career appearance as a Spider, senior closer Brian Alas finished off the Monarchs in the ninth with the help of a crisply-turned double-play from McConnell to Mergenthaler for the final two outs.

Richmond went in order in the first and second innings and ODU drew first blood with RBIs from Donnie Corsner and Josh Wright. But the Spiders answered right back in their half of third with five runs on just three hits off starter Cory Toth.

Freshman LF Robby Massar and junior SS Victor Croglio drew back-to-back walks to lead off the inning and a bunt single by Ruzbarsky loaded the bases. McConnell singled to score two and junior 3B Cameron Brown followed with a two-RBI double. Senior RF Ryan Metzroth had an RBI later in the inning as the Spiders seized a 5-2 advantage.

Toth survived the third, but had his day ended with a lead off walk - his fifth free pass of the day - in the fourth inning. Reliever Phil McCarthy got tagged the loss allowing seven hits and four runs in 4.1 innings of work.

Falasco fired 1.2 scoreless innings as the second Spider out of the bullpen in relief of freshman starter Zach Jung, who went five innings, scattered seven hits, allowed three runs and left in line for the victory.

But ODU took advantage of three walks issued by junior Brian Farrell in the sixth and scored three times to pull even. Chris Buss' RBI made it an 8-7 game in the eighth inning.

The Spiders, who are 6-9 in the league, open the three-game series at St. Bonaventure (18-15, 5-9) Friday at 3 p.m.