RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond twice scored six unanswered runs to pull away from the Cornell baseball team 12-2 on Sunday afternoon at Pitt Field, solidifying its three-game weekend series sweep.
The Spiders (8-4) answered Cornell's first-inning run, which came on a Richmond fielding error, with six straight of their own to build a 6-1 lead through four six innings. After the Big Red trimmed the deficit to 6-2 in the seventh, Richmond rattled off six more unanswered runs across the final two innings to put the game out of reach.
RJ Johnson Jr.'s RBI single tied the game in the second before Aidan O'Keefe grounded into a run-scoring double play with the bases loaded in the same inning to give Richmond the lead. RJ Rickabaugh's solo home run in the fourth pushed the Richmond advantage to 3-1.
A three-run sixth was the first of three consecutive three-run innings for Richmond as Johnson Jr. collected his second RBI single of the game before O'Keefe and Dylan Winebrenner added run-scoring hits of their own.
Cornell had trimmed the Richmond lead to 6-2 in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by senior first baseman
TJ Swidorski, but the Spiders had a swift answer. A one-out solo home run by Ryan Recio opened the seventh-inning scoring before a Cornell fielding error on an infield single by Johnson Jr. and a wild pitch enabled two more Spider runs to score. Khris Morris then capped the afternoon with a three-run blast to deep left field in the eighth.
Johnson Jr. was the offensive standout for Richmond, going 4-for-4 with three RBI. Winebrenner added a 3-for-5 afternoon with a double and an RBI, while O'Keefe contributed two hits, including an RBI double in the sixth.
Senior right-handed pitcher
Ethan Hamill started for the Big Red, taking the loss after surrendering three earned runs on five hits over four innings while striking out two. Cornell's bullpen combined to allow eight earned runs over the final three-plus frames.
Sophomore catcher
Mason Barela was a bright spot offensively, going 3-for-4, while junior designated hitter
Owen Carlson scored both of the Big Red's runs and went 2-for-4 out of the leadoff spot.
Jackson Hinchliffe earned the start for Richmond, allowing one unearned run on five hits over 3 2/3 innings. Chayse Gruber picked up the win, pitching three strong innings in relief while surrendering one run and striking out three.
GAME NOTES
• Sunday was the 14th all-time meeting between Cornell and Richmond and the ninth since 2022. Richmond extended its series lead to 11-3 with the victory.
• Carlson extended his on-base streaks to 18 games, having reached safely in 31 of his last 32 and 37 of his previous 39 outings. Junior shortstop
Kevin Hager saw his 20-game on-base streak get snapped after going 0-for-4.
• Barela batted a team-best .462 in the three-game weekend series, going 6-for-13 with a home run and RBI. Senior center fielder
Caden Wildman and Carlson also joined Barela in batting at least .400 on the weekend, both going 5-for-11. Wildman added two doubles, while Carlson had two RBI. Freshman
Aiden Barclay (4-for-11, .364) and Hager (4-for-12, .333) also had batting averages above .300, as Cornell batted .308 on the weekend as a team.
UP NEXT
Cornell will continue its season-opening 16-game road trip next weekend when it travels to the Bronx to face Fordham in a three-game set that will begin with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 7, at noon from Houlihan Park. None of the three games will be live streamed.
