RICHMOND, Va. – A three-run third inning and a four-run fifth inning powered the Saint Joseph's baseball team past Richmond, 7-3, at Pitt Field on Thursday afternoon in the Atlantic 10 opener for both teams.
Saint Joseph's (8-9 overall, 1-0 Atlantic 10) got things started with one out in the top of the third as Peter Sitaras drew a walk and stole second. Consecutive walks to Marc Giacalone and Deon Stafford, Jr., loaded the bases for John Brue, who singled to right to score Sitaras with the game's first run. Matt Maul followed with an RBI single of his own before Charlie Concannon's RBI groundout made it a 3-0 game.
Richmond (12-10 overall, 0-1 Atlantic 10) pegged one back in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Doug Kraeger.
The Hawks expanded the cushion in the fifth as Stafford led off the frame with his team-best fifth home run of the season. A walk to Brue chased UR starter Keenan Bartlett; Matt Olson came on and walked Concannon to put two on for Cal Jadacki, whose second longball in as many games extended the SJU lead to 7-1.
The Spiders closed the gap to five in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by D.J. Lee. Richmond then put the first two runners on board in the sixth, but Pat Vanderslice, on in relief of starter Tim Ponto, ended the threat with a fielder's choice and a pair of fly outs.
The SJU defense came through in both the seventh and eighth, erasing singles with double plays, before the Spiders added one last tally on a two-out single by Michael Morman. Ryan Kelly then came on and fanned Kraeger to end the ballgame and secure his first save of the season.
Ponto earned the win to improve to 1-1. He allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits in five innings. Vanderslice was solid in relief, scattering six hits and allowing a single unearned run in three and two-thirds innings of work. Bartlett took the loss for Richmond, falling to 0-2 on the year after ceding five runs on six hits in four-plus innings.
The teams will return to Pitt Field on Friday for the second of a three-game set. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m.
