March 7, 2010
Box Score
RICHMOND, Va. - The Lafayette baseball team continued to struggle on the road, dropping a 10-7 decision to Richmond in the series finale on Sunday afternoon.
Lafayette had its chances with five Richmond errors but could not hold on to what had been a 7-3 lead. With the loss, the Leopards fall to 0-6 on the young season, with all six decisions coming on the road. Richmond, meanwhile, improves to 6-4.
Five of the Spiders' runs scored on home runs, with three different Richmond players knocking balls out of the park.
Three Leopards had multi-hit games, including first baseman Adam McMahon, who went 2-for-5 and drove in two runs. Rob Froio also went 2-for-5 and scored two runs from the leadoff spot.
Starter Jeremy Atkins went six full innings and gave up five earned runs while striking out a game-high eight batters.
Richmond got on the board first with two runs in the first on two bases-loaded walks and added another run in the second on a sac fly for a 3-0 lead.
Lafayette countered with a five-run third which came thanks to five hits and a Richmond error. Froio collected the first hit and took second on a wild pitch. A.J. Pisarri knocked him home with a single up the middle and Matt Hall followed with a RBI double. McMahon collected the Leopards' third-straight hit to send Hall home and a throwing error allowed the inning's fifth run to score.
The Leopards took a 7-3 lead the next inning thanks to a wild pitch that scored Brian Davila, who had reached on a leadoff single. McMahon added a double to left field that plated Froio, who had reached first on a bunt single.
Richmond got back a run in the bottom of the fourth thanks to Andrew Lowry's RBI single to right field and knocked Atkins for three runs in the fifth. Those runs came via Chris Cowell's three-run shot to left center.
Atkins pitched through the sixth inning and did not give up another run, leaving with the game tied at seven-all.
Jack Rems relieved Atkins in the seventh and immediately gave up a home run to right center on a 0-1 pitch to Mike Mergenthaler that put the Spiders up 8-7. Jeff Snell came in from the bullpen and surrendered another solo shot, this time off the bat of Billy Barber.
The Spiders tacked on a run in the eighth on Phil Ruzbarsky's RBI single up the middle off Ian Dickson, who pitched the final inning for the Leopards.
Lafayette finally returns to the Northeast to "host" Rider on Tuesday at 3 p.m. The game is being played at Jack Cust Field in Flemington, N.J. and the Leopards will serve as the home team.
