Feb. 26 wins put baseball team first in A-10 South Division

The University of Richmond men’s baseball team took both games of the doubleheader on Feb. 26 against Mount St. Mary’s University. 

The team’s 2-0 record puts it at first place in the Atlantic-10 South Division.

Redshirt sophomore pitcher Jacob Marcus took the mound for the Spiders in the first game. Marcus went five innings, giving up two runs on four hits and striking out four batters.

The first inning in game one went scoreless for both teams. UR quickly took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second, after back-to-back singles from graduate student infielders Rich Ciufo and Chris Rinaldi, followed by a two-run single by redshirt junior infielder Dominic Toso.

Mount St. Mary’s answered with two runs of its own in the top of the third inning and tied the game 2-2.

In the bottom half of the third inning, the Spiders scored four runs with the help of redshirt junior outfielder Jordan Schulefand and graduate student outfielder Austin Masel. Both had two-run singles that put UR on top, 6-2. 

The Spiders held on to their 6-2 lead for the remainder of the game, surrendering only two hits to the Mountaineers in four innings. 

Schulefand and Masel both went two for three with a pair of runs batted in each, and Schulefand recorded the team’s first stolen base of the season. Toso went two for four, with two runs batted in.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Mountaineers took an early 1-0 lead after a double by junior Ryan Fisher and a single by graduate student Vaughn Parker II.

UR tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the second after a single through the left side by graduate student outfielder Dan Leckie scored in Rinaldi from third base. 

Both teams threatened to score in the third inning, as the Mountaineers left one stranded on second base and the Spiders left two on base as the bottom of the third concluded.

In the bottom of the fourth, Leckie hit a first-pitch double with two outs down the left-field line, putting the Spiders in scoring position. 

On a 2-0 count, Toso hit a run batted in double off the wall in left field that scored in Leckie, and UR took a 2-1 lead. 

UR’s one-run lead was enough to earn the team its second win of the day; it ended the second game of the doubleheader with a 2-1 victory.

Contact sports writer Anabella Pelaez at anabella.pelaez@richmond.edu.