RICHMOND, VA -- The University of Richmond scored six runs on only two hits in the bottom of the eighth inning to turn a 3-3 tie into a 9-3 victory over the University of Delaware on Friday afternoon in the season-opener for the Blue Hens.

Billy Harris (right) started and pitched 5.2 innings of shutout ball for the Hens, while Alex Buchholz and Bryan Hagerich each had two hits.

The game settled in as a pitcher’s duel through the early and middle innings, with neither team mustering much of an offensive attack.

In the sixth inning, Brandon Menchaca extended his hitting streak to 27 games with a leadoff single. Menchaca then stole second and scored when a fielders choice got away from Spider third baseman Cameron Brown. Buchholz then hit a fly ball to right field that was dropped by Matt McKenna, moving Ryan Jablonski to third and Buchholz to second. With the bases loaded and one out, Scott Shockley laced a double to leftfield that brought in the second and third Delaware runs.

In the Richmond sixth, Austin Reilly led off by reaching base on an error by Hens third baseman Adam Tsakonas. However, Harris then induced Alex Wotring to ground into a double play, started beautifully by Tsakonas. After Joe Mahoney doubled off the top of the wall in rightfield, Chad Kerfoot relieved Harris and ended the inning by striking out Brown.

After the Hens plated their three runs by way of Richmond defensive miscues, the Spiders tied the score by way of Delaware errors in the seventh. Hank Coogan and Vince Riggi led off with back to back singles and Coogan came around to score on an error by Tsakonas. After an error by Ryan Jablonski brought in the second Spider run, Austin Reilly’s sacrifice fly to right field tied the game.

In the top of the eighth, Buchholz and Hagerich each reached base with singles off of Richmond reliever Brian Alas, putting two runners on base with one out. However, Alas fought back and struck out Shockley and pinch-hitter Ryan Cuneo to end the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, Richmond again took advantage of Delaware miscues and this time put up six runs. Mahoney led off the inning with a double and advanced to third when the Hens tried to get Mahoney out on a bunt by Brown instead of taking the sure out at first. Hank Coogan’s fly to rightfield was dropped by Blue Hen rightfielder Dan Richardson, bringing in the go-ahead run. Vince Riggi then walked to load the bases and McKenna doubled off Delaware reliever David Slovak to make the game 6-3. With the bases loaded, another Delaware error brought in two more runs and by the time it was all said and done, the Spiders had scored six runs on only two hits and two Delaware errors to build their 9-3 lead.

Alas earned the win for the Spiders with 3.2 innings of scoreless relief, while Kerfoot was the hard-luck loser for the Blue Hens.

The two teams will play a double-header on Saturday starting at 12 noon to avoid impending bad weather in the Richmond area on Sunday. With a hit in Saturday’s first game, Menchaca will tie the Delaware record for consecutive games with a hit, and can break it with a hit in both games.

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