Freshman Andrew Lowry hit a three-run homer in the ninth -- the first of his collegiate career.

March 8, 2008

Box Score

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Princeton capitalized on two costly Richmond errors in the seventh inning to score four unearned runs and beat Richmond, 8-5, Saturday in the first game of a three-game series at Pitt Field. The Spiders, who led 2-1 in the fifth, tried to mount a last-inning comeback but freshman's Andrew Lowry's first collegiate homer -- a three-run shot -- wasn't enough.

Sophomore Evan Stehle went three-for-four and junior Ryan Metzroth had two hits as the Spiders (4-7-1) out-hit the visitors 10-9. Junior starting pitcher Brian Farrell went five innings with nine strikeouts, allowing just two runs on two hits.

But the game unraveled defensively for Richmond in the seventh inning and reliever Jared Bard found himself on the short end of the decision. Dan DeGeorge reached on a leadoff error and scored when Matt Connor doubled him home. Jack Murphy then reached on an error with one out and Spencer Lucian followed with a two-run homer to right.

All four of the runs that broke a 2-2 tie were unearned and the loss dropped Bard to 0-3 this season. The Tigers (4-1) tacked on a pair of insurance runs in eight and ninth, leading 8-2 with three outs remaining.

The Spiders though, as they have done often this season, would not go quietly in the ninth. Stehle led the inning off with a single and moved to third on Derek Boliek's double. With two outs and Lowry down to his last strike, he drilled a Christian Staehely offering over the wall in right-center field for his first collegiate home run.

Richmond is out-scoring the opposition 16-1 in the ninth inning this season.

Steahely fanned pinch-hitter Marc Terranova in the next at bat to squash any hopes of a Spider comeback and seal his first victory. Starter Steven Miller gave way to Steahely after four innings with the Tigers trailing 2-1.

Metzroth singled through the left side in the third inning to score Hank Coogan as the Spiders scored first for the third consecutive game.

After Jon Brocious RBI double in the top of the fourth evened the score at 1-1, Richmond reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the frame on Boliek's sacrifice fly to score Stehle.

The second of David Hale's RBI singles plated the tying run for Princeton in the sixth inning. With second and third and no outs, Bard struck out the side to end the threat.

Richmond and Princeton conclude the series Sunday with a doubleheader. First pitch at Pitt Field is slated for noon.