SPORTS

 

DAVIDSON — Davidson hit three first-inning home runs Saturday afternoon, but Parker Nolan’s 11th-inning walk-off walk proved to be the difference in an 8-7 win over Richmond at Wilson Field.  

The victory clinches at least a series win to open Atlantic 10 play, and the Wildcats, now 21-5, will go for the sweep and a 3-0 league start Sunday.

Jacob Friend led off the decisive 11th with a walk and moved to second on a Jake Wilhoit sacrifice bunt. After Michael Carico was intentionally walked, Trevor Candelaria was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Nolan. With two outs and facing a full count, Nolan held off a high pitch, took his base and brought Friend into score.

While effective and dramatic in its own right, it was not the emphatic ending that might have been expected considering how the afternoon began.

After Richmond took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, Carico led off with his team-leading eighth home run of the year, a shot to center. Then Candelaria followed by tying the game with his sixth homer, also to center. Then, hitting fourth, Ryan Wilson went deep to left for his fifth and a 3-2 Wildcats’ lead.

Jacob Hinderleider’s RBI-single tied the game at 4-4 in the sixth and started a four-run Wildcat inning that also included Hinderleider scoring on a Wilhoit sacrifice fly and Carico and Candelaria drawing bases-loaded walks to make it 7-4.

Hinderleider, Candelaria and Henry Koehler had two hits apiece Saturday.

Will Schomberg earned the victory after pitching scoreless 10th and 11th innings, allowing one hit and striking out two. Ryan Kutz threw four effective innings, allowing one earned run and three hits and striking out two.