Slammed in ninth
Richmond belts grand slam to hand JMU loss
By Whitney Proffitt, contributing writer
Posted on April 20, 2006

JMU junior right-hander Bobby Lasko loaded the bases in the top of the ninth inning and gave up a grand slam to Richmond’s designated hitter Alex Wotring as the JMU baseball team dropped a non-conference game 13-10.

“That was embarrassing,” JMU coach Spanky McFarland said. “It was one of the worst losses of the season. We go from playing great last weekend to this.”

JMU took an early lead in the first with four hits by the first four batters, including senior catcher Matt Sluder’s fourth home run of the year. His three-run homer put the Diamond Dukes up 4-0 through one inning.

“I felt great about it,” Sluder said. “It’s a lot more satisfying with people on base. It was nice to be able to get us up early.”

JMU continued its dominance in the second inning when senior second baseman Michael Cowgill hit a two-run home run, helping the Diamond Dukes cruise to a 6-0 lead over the Spiders. Cowgill’s home run tied the school’s career home run record at 36.

Madison freshman left-hander Justin Wood, who started for the Diamond Dukes, pitched well until he was taken out in the fifth in favor of senior right-hander Patrick Riley. Wood pitched four innings, allowing three hits and only one run.

Riley, who struggled and never made it out of the fifth inning, allowed three hits and two more runs for the Spiders to make it 6-3. Sophomore left-hander Trevor Kaylid finished the fifth for JMU.

“Our relievers have been beat up on all year,” McFarland said. “They’re timid and not attacking the zone or being aggressive. We should have never given up seventeen hits. That’s discouraging.”

JMU senior first baseman Nate Schill said, “We had trouble getting ahead of batters. We had a lot more walks than we should have.”

Kyle Damm came in for Richmond in the bottom of the fifth and slowed JMU’s offensive attack, allowing the Spiders to escape the next two innings without the Diamond Dukes scoring. Damm’s pitching allowed the Spiders to get back in the game.

Richmond took the lead in the seventh, by scoring three runs, but JMU quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning.

With the bases loaded, junior outfielder Mitchell Moses hit a soft ground ball to Spiders shortstop Victor Croglio, who short hopped the throw to first baseman, Joe Mahoney, allowing two runs to score. This was the first of two errors that allowed four Diamond Dukes’ runs in the bottom of the seventh.

Going into the ninth, the Diamond Dukes held the lead 10-9. However, at the top of the inning Woltring smashed his grand slam, putting the Spiders up 13-10.

JMU threatened to make a comeback in the bottom of the ninth after Richmond’s Andrew Justice lost the ball in the sun and gave up a double to Diamond Dukes left fielder, senior Matt Bristow. But with runners on second and third with no one out, Mitchell Moses struck out and Michael Cowgill hit into a double play when right fielder Matt McKenna threw Joe Lake out at the plate.

“We’ve had weeks like this when we just can’t seem to come ready for weekday games,” Sluder said. “We play better on the weekends.”

Sophomore center fielder Kellen Kulbacki had his 60th RBI of the season in the first inning, but was taken out when he suffered a minor muscle strain in his rib cage during the second inning. Freshman outfielder Matt Townsend was brought in to pinch-hit for him. Kulbacki is expected to be back this weekend.

The Diamond Dukes played a road game at Radford yesterday and will travel to N.Y. to face Hofstra this weekend.

UR     000 033 304 — 13  17  2
JMU  420 000 400 — 10  15  1

Derek Duclos, Jason Bolinski (4), Kyle Damm (5), Wyatt Stewart (7), Benji Marshall (8), Brian Alas (9) and Matt McKenna and Hank Coogan; Justin Wood, Patrick Riley (5), Trevor Kaylid (5), Clay McKim (6), Jacob Cook (7), Bobby Lasko (7) and Matt Sluder.

W — Marshall, L — Lasko, S — Alas.

2B — (UR) Andrew Justice, Matt McKenna, Victor Croglio; (JMU) Nate Schill, Matt Bristow, Mitchell Moses. HR — (UR) Ben Zeskind, Alex Wotring, Matt McKenna; (JMU) Matt Sluder, Michael Cowgill.

Records: Richmond (13-23), JMU (25-15).