May 14, 2009

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Richmond broke an 8-8 deadlock with three runs in the seventh inning and held on to defeat La Salle, 11-9, Thursday afternoon in the opener of a three-game series at Hank DeVincent Field in Philadelphia. Sophomore Billy Barber had two hits, two RBI and got the win in relief for the Spiders.

Freshman C Chris Cowell and junior 3B Cameron Brown each had three hits and each homered as the Spiders (21-24, 10-15) pounded out 14 hits on the Explorers (18-29, 7-17), including five for extra-bases. Freshman Adam McConnell had a hit, scored twice and swiped his team-leading 30th and 31st bases of the season.

With McConnell at first and pinch-runner Andrew Lowry at second in the decisive seventh inning, both runners broke on a double steal. Brown swung and missed at strike three and the catcher's throw was mishandled by the second basemen allowing Lowry to score from third as the go-ahead run.

With two outs, Richmond kept the pressure on as sophomore Mike Mergenthaler singled home McConnell and Cowell laced an RBI double in the next at-bat. Mergenthaler finished the day with two hits, two RBI and a run.

That would be all Richmond needed as Barber went three innings in relief, allowing three hits and a run, to earn his team-leading fifth win (5-1). Senior closer Brian Alas gave up a run in the ninth, but dodged further trouble to earn the five-out save - his eighth of the season.

But Richmond had to withstand a La Salle rally that saw the home team tie the game at 8-8 after the Spiders opened a 7-2 lead in the fourth.

Richmond scored early and often to get the five-run lead for senior starter Stephen Owens heading to the bottom of the fourth. Baber's two-run triple down the left field line opened the scoring in the first inning and Brown followed with his 10th homer of the season - a two-run shot deep over the right-field fence in the second. Ryan Metzroth and Matt Zink each had RBIs in the third inning and Cowell launched a solo homer deep to left-center field in the fourth.

The Explorers, though, came sailing back with four runs in its half of the fourth to close the gap to 7-6. Brian Meagher lifted a three-run homer in the frame and Tony Negrin had a solo shot.

Mergenthaler drew a bases-loaded walk in the fifth, making the score 8-6, but runs by La Salle in the fifth and sixth tied the game and ended Owens' bid for the win.

With two stolen bases in the game, McConnell has 31 this season and moved into a tie for third on the Spiders' single-season to with Bryan Pritz (2002). The freshman, who leads all NCAA rookies this season in thefts, needs one more to tie for second and four more to tie the record of 35 held by John Wagler (1998).

Richmond and La Salle continue the series Friday at 3 p.m.