Feb. 20, 2004

Box Score

Charleston, SC - Jim Fasano connected for a first inning home run and two runs batted in to lead Richmond past The Citadel 2-1 in the second game of the Homewood Suites Shootout Friday evening in collegiate baseball action in front of 927 fans at Riley Park.

Richmond (1-0) got on the board early as Fasano blasted the first pitch he saw over the right field fence to give the Spiders a 1-0 lead after the first inning. Fasano's blast was his first of the season.

The game remained 1-0 in favor of Richmond until the eighth inning when Fasano recorded his second RBI of the day on a groundout to first that allowed Bryan Pritz to score and give Richmond a 2-0 advantage.

The Citadel (1-1) rallied in the bottom half of the eighth cutting the Spider lead in half, 2-1. With runners on first and second, Josh Stackley doubled to centerfield plating Bulldog catcher Will Coker. After intentionally walking Chip Cannon, Richmond closer John Cronin struck out Chris Ard and got Chris Altman to groundout to end the Bulldog rally with the bases loaded. Cronin earned the save as he retired The Citadel in order in the bottom of the ninth, while Spider starter Derek Duclos (1-0) earned the win on 7.1 innings of work. Duclos allowed only one run on four hits, while striking out six.

Jonathan Ellis (1-1) took the loss for the Bulldogs as he surrendered the Fasano homer in the first. Ellis worked six innings, giving up three hits and one run. Citadel reliever Griff Beckham gave up the second Spider run.

Richmond will face Old Dominion at 11 am on Saturday, February 21, in the third game of the Homewood Suites Shootout, while The Citadel will be pitted against West Virginia at 3 pm in game four.