May 17, 2008

Box Score |  Photos 

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Ryan Metzroth launched a two-run home run in the first inning and Jared Bard pitched a gem, leading the Richmond baseball team to a 9-5 win over St. Bonaventure in the Spiders' 2008 finale at Pitt Field Saturday afternoon. Metzroth and Chris Cuppia each had three hits for the Spiders.

Metzroth's sixth homer of the season put the Spiders on the board first, Bard went 7.1 strong innings to maintain the early lead and Josh Horn picked up the save to close out Richmond's 16th win of the season when leading after seven innings.

The victory ends Richmond's campaign at 20-31-2 overall, 10-16-1 in A-10 play and closed the careers of five graduating seniors - pitcher Rob Berzinskas, left fielder Hank Coogan, pitcher Alex Hale, third baseman Austin Reilly and center fielder Joe White.

"Obviously this is a good way for our seniors to end their careers," said head coach Mark McQueen. "These guys have made great contributions for our program both on the field and in the classroom and I'm proud of what they've done for Spider baseball."

After Hale and Berzinskas logged innings in Friday's game, Coogan, White and Reilly each produced on Senior Day with two hits and a run from Reilly, a hit and a run from Coogan and a hit and two runs from White.

Coogan reached on an error in the first inning and Metzroth tomahawked a Cael Johnson offering over the right-field fence and into the parking lot at Pitt Field, putting Richmond up 2-0. The Spiders extended that lead to 3-0 with the first of three hits from Cuppia, driving in Reilly after his double the next inning.

The Spiders tacked on two more in the fourth when Metzroth was plunked by reliever Aron Meindl with the bases loaded and Mike Mergenthaler drew the first of his two walks in the next at bat.

Bard picked up the victory (3-6) after allowing four runs on eight hits with two strikeouts in his longest outing of the season. The sophomore weaseled his way out of trouble in the first after walking the game's first two batters and pitched a shutout until the Bonnies plated a run in each the sixth and seventh.

"That was a great outing by Jared and probably his best start of the season," said McQueen. "I liked our approach today. We got an early lead, played solid defense and Bard was mixing his pitches well and kept them off-balance."

Mergenthaler drew his second bases-loaded walk of the game, part of a three-run seventh inning for the Spiders that proved to be much-needed insurance runs. Derek Boliek laced an RBI single to score White and Andrew Lowry's RBI ground out scored Cuppia.

The visitors staged a rally in the eighth, knocking Bard out of the game after a double by Josh Sova and a walk to T.J. Pennino with one out. Both those runners scored off reliever Daniel Clark, but Josh Horn came on later in the inning, and after loading the bases with a walk, painted a fastball on the inside corner to Jesse Bosnik for the inning-ending strikeout.

Horn set Bona down in order in the ninth for his second save of the season.

Metzroth finished the day three-for-four with a run scored and three RBI, while the bottom of the Spiders' order - White, Reilly, Cuppia and Boliek - combined for eight of the 12 hits and scored five runs.

The Spiders played errorless baseball for the eighth time this season.

"We didn't accomplish all of our goals this season," said McQueen. "But I'm proud of the guys and hopefully this win sets the tone for the off-season and into next year."