Xavier University Athletics
Xavier University
Richmond
Richmond Squeaks Out 8-7 Win Over Baseball in 10
04.03.10 | Baseball
April 3, 2010
RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond defeated Xavier baseball, 8-7, Saturday afternoon in come-from-behind fashion at UR's Pitt Field. Junior John McCambridge went 3-for-5 at the plate for the Musketeers including knocking out his first home run of the season in the fifth, and scored three runs to go with one RBI.
Junior Ben Thomas and senior Bobby Freking each had multiple hit days as well, recording two hits apiece. Freking also tallied two RBI in the contest.
Xavier (6-20, 2-3 A-10) put up a run in the first and third innings of the contest to take an early 2-0 lead. Freking's base hit in the first moved McCambridge over to third and he was able to score on a Spider throwing error. In the third, McCambridge scored again, this time on a single through the right side by Thomas.
The Musketeers scored two more in the fifth as redshirt senior Neil Lindgren took a base after being hit by a pitch and was moved around to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Patrick Paligraf. McCambridge sent his first long ball of the season over the left field fence to tally two RBI and give XU the 4-0 advantage.
Richmond (13-12, 2-3 A-10) scored its only run of the contest in the seventh when Mike Mergenthaler led off the inning with a home run to left center on the second pitch he faced.
Xavier added three more runs in the eighth to stretch its lead to six. Thomas singled up the middle and Freking followed with homer to left, his third of the season. Senior Zac Richard got an extra base hit to get into scoring position and junior Phil Bauer single up the middle, allowing Richard to score on the throw. After seven and a half, the Musketeers were up, 7-1.
The Spiders rallied in the bottom of the ninth, scoring six runs and tying the game at seven each to stay alive. The Musketeers were unable to score in the extra frame and Richmond's Cameron Brown's walk-off single scored Mergenthaler to end the game in the 10th with UR on top, 8-7.
Junior Brian Muransky (0-6) was charged with the loss after giving up three runs in two-thirds of an inning of relief. Starter junior Tommy Shirley tossed a career-high 8.1 innings giving up five runs on five hits and striking out a career-high nine while walking only one. Redshirt freshman Alex Vice closed out the game for XU.
Billy Barber (0-3) earned the win for the Spiders after throwing one-third of an inning. Two Spiders had multiple hits in the game, including Brown who went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
Xavier and Richmond close out their series Sunday with a noon start time at UR's Pitt Field.
