RICHMOND, Va. – The Saint Joseph's baseball team dropped a tight 4-2 contest to Richmond at Pitt Field on Friday afternoon.  Taylor Boyd and Matt Maul rapped out two hits apiece for the Hawks in the game.

Richmond (13-10 overall, 1-1 Atlantic 10) took an early lead on a first inning double by Michael Morman.  The Spiders doubled the edge in the fourth on a single by Jansen Fraser before Morman singled home a run in the fifth to extend the margin to 3-0.

Saint Joseph's (8-10 overall, 1-1 Atlantic 10) broke through with a pair in the sixth.  Deon Stafford, Jr., led off the inning with a walk and went to third on a double by John Brue.  Maul followed with an infield single to score Stafford and get the Hawks on the board.  A bunt single by Brian Lau loaded the bases for Cal Jadacki, whose double play grounder allowed Brue to score and get SJU within one.

The Spiders added an insurance run in the seventh on a single by Doug Kraeger, but the Hawks threatened right away, loading the bases in the top of the eighth.  Unfortunately for the Crimson and Gray, reliever Caleb Ward escaped the inning without a run crossing the plate.

Justin Aungst escaped a bases-loaded jam of his own in the bottom of the frame, but the Hawks were unable to equalize in the ninth as Ward recorded his second save of the season.

Zach Grossfeld earned the win for Richmond, allowing two runs on six hits in five and two-thirds innings of work.  Lucas Rollins took the loss for SJU, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out five in six innings.

The teams will play the rubber game of the series on Saturday afternoon.  First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. at Pitt Field.