Four Home Runs Key to Spider Victory Over Cornell

Friday, February 27

Richmond, Va.

1:00 PM

University of Richmond

6-4

Cornell

0-5

Cornell

Richmond

Number four, RJ Johnson Jr jumps into the arms of his teammates to celebrate his home run

02/27/2026 | Baseball

Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond baseball team offense exploded for four home runs, including two by RJ Johnson Jr, to capture the 9-6 victory over Cornell Friday afternoon at Pitt Field.

Richmond, now 6-4 on the season, and Cornell, 0-5 on the year, will return to Pitt Field Saturday for game two of the weekend series. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.

Dylan Winebrenner laced a base hit through the middle of the infield to score lead off hitter Trevor Dosenbach to put the Spiders on the board first.

Johnson Jr. launched his first home run, a two-run shot, in the second inning. Chris Schaller, who reached on an error, scored as well to give UR a 3-0.

After working around some traffic on the bases in the first, Glenn Smith retired the Big Red in order back-to-back innings, collecting four of his career-high six strikeouts. Smith tossed five plus innings, scattering four runs on seven hits, with a walk to collect his first win of the season. Smith allowed Cornell's runs in the fourth and the sixth innings

Richmond responded in the fourth with two more runs to push the squad's lead to 5-2. Evan Wilson, after leading off with a double, scored on a failed pick off attempt at first on Schaller to score the first run. Schaller then stole third and scored on Noah Haught's ground out.

Michael Elko launched his first home run of the season in the fifth inning to deep right field. After Khris Morris walked and stole second, he trotted home on Ryan Recio's second home run of the season off the trees in left field for an 8-2 lead.

Bijan Anvar took over in the sixth and allowed the inherited runners from Smith to score on a double before picking off the runner at second. Anvar also got a strikeout and a ground out to limit the damage. In the seventh, he worked around a two-out walk and a base hit to get out of the frame with a strikeout.

Johnson Jr. launched his second home run of the day off the batter's eye in straight away center field to add an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth.

Justin Gay tossed the final two innings, allowing two runs on four hits with a strikeout.