The Collegian
Friday, March 29, 2024

Richmond drops deciding game to Fordham

The University of Richmond baseball team lost 11-6 to Fordham University on Sunday at Pitt Field, and lost the three game series 2-1.

Junior Matt Trent started the game for Richmond. He pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up five runs and nine hits and striking out five batters. Trent received the loss and fell to 0-3 on the season.

Richmond coach Mark McQueen said that despite the loss, it was Trent's best outing of the year.

"In the first inning we had a chance to get the lead, but we didn't take advantage," McQueen said. "I thought the team played pretty well, but [Fordham] did a better job in the big situations than we did."

Richmond has been fighting injuries and because it is still early in the season, they have been tentative in the early innings, McQueen said.

Richmond junior Billy Barber went 4-5, with two solo homeruns.

"I only had one hit in each of the [two] games on Saturday, so it was nice to makeup for that," Barber said. "I had two hits already before I hit the home runs, so I was feeling confident. I had some adrenaline going."

The game was scoreless until the top of the 4th inning. Trent got the first hitter to ground out, but then gave up three hits, including a two-run double down the third-base line.

Richmond scored one run in the 4th and 5th innings, and took the lead 3-2 in the bottom of the 6th inning, when sophomore Chris Cowell homered deep to left field.

"I got a fastball up in the zone and turned on it," Cowell said.

Cowell, the catcher, said that Trent had become tired in the 7th inning and had started to allow cheap hits. Trent was pulled after a run scored on a throwing error by third baseman Cameron Brown. He left the game with two runners on base.

The Spiders turned to senior Ian Marshall with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to face Fordham's first baseman Michael Taddei. Marshall got ahead of Taddei 0-2 in the count, after he fouled off two outside fastballs. Marshall tried another fastball, this time up and inside, and Taddei hit it over the right-field fence, putting the Spiders down 6-3.

Cowell said that the bullpen has been good this year, but left some pitches up during the game.

"Two mistakes basically cost us six runs," he said.

Although the Spiders added a run in the 7th inning, they never again pulled close.

They rallied in the 9th inning, when Barber led off with his second home run. With two outs and the bases loaded, sophomore Deriek Boliek came to the plate and hit a fly ball down the right field line that looked as if it had a chance to fall for a hit. Fordham right-fielder Ryan Maghini made a sliding catch that ended the game.

Richmond is 12-10 on the year, and 1-2 in the A-10.

On Wednesday, the Spiders will travel to face the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a nationally ranked opponent.

Contact reporter Zak Kozuchowski at zak.kozuchowski@richmond.edu

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