Dayton Wins Third Conference Series After Doubleheader Split

Game 1: Dayton 15, Richmond 5
Game 2: Richmond 8, Dayton 6

April 17, 2011

DAYTON, Ohio – University of Dayton baseball split a doubleheader with Richmond on Sunday at Time Warner Cable Stadium to win its third consecutive conference series and improve to 6-3 in the Atlantic 10.

Dayton (20-17, 6-3 A-10) broke away with a 15-5 win in the first game after a nine-run eighth inning. Despite matching the Spiders in hits and runners left on base in game two, the Flyers lost an 8-6 decision in the series finale. Richmond (19-15-2, 6-3), Dayton and Fordham are currently in a three-way tie for second place in the A-10 standings.

Dayton’s win in the front end of Sunday’s doubleheader extended its winning streak to a season-best six games.

Junior Brian Blasik set career-highs in hits and RBI in game one after registering five hits, five RBI and three runs scored. In game two, Blasik went 2-for-5 with three runs scored. Blasik finished with two triples on the day and extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

Junior Burny Mitchem earned the win on the mound for Dayton in game one, throwing six innings with eight strikeouts. The Farmington, Mich., native pitched three 1-2-3 innings and allowed just one earned run.

Entering the bottom of the eighth inning, Dayton held a one-run lead but 14 batters and nine runs later the Flyers led 15-5. Four of Blasik’s five RBI from game one came in the eighth. Dayton’s nine runs in a single inning is a season-high and the most since scoring seven runs in the eighth inning at Bowling Green State on Wednesday.

In game two, right-handed pitcher Mike Hauschild and left-handed pitcher Bobby Glover combined for 10 strikeouts, but Richmond won the series finale, 8-6, behind a 3-for-5, three RBI performance from Mike Mergenthaler.

The Flyers return to Time Warner Cable Stadium on Tuesday, hosting Bowling Green State at 4 p.m. ET. Last Wednesday, UD defeated BGSU on the road, 13-2.