A Nail-Biter in the Atlantic 10
The Richmond Spiders edged out the Saint Louis Billikens 26-24 in a back-and-forth contest that decided the second seed for the 2026 Atlantic 10 Conference Championship.
Richmond closed the regular season at 33-22 overall and 20-10 in A-10 play, marking the best conference record the program has posted since 2007.
The game opened with a flurry of offense, as a bases-loaded single by Noah Haught drove in the first run, and later Chris Schaller’s three-run homer put the Spiders ahead 8-5. Saint Louis answered with a three-run shot in the second to tie the contest.
Late Surge Secures the Win
A seven-run fourth inning by the Billikens briefly shifted momentum, but the Spiders responded in the ninth with a ten-run explosion, highlighted by RJ Johnson Jr.’s three-run homer and a clutch double by Evan Wilson that cleared the bases.
Relief pitcher Chayse Gruber closed out the ninth, striking out the side to preserve the win, while Michael Elko and RJ Rickabaugh added key RBIs earlier in the frame.