Cavaliers Falter at Richmond, 8-3
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April 6, 1999
RICHMOND, Va. – University of Richmond’s Mike Dwyer hit a grandslam to key a five-run seventh inning as the Spiders defeated theUniversity of Virginia here Tuesday 8-3. With the loss, the Cavaliersfallto 14-20 on the season, while UR improves to 21-8.
Dwyer’s blast was his second homer of the game and 12th of theseason, and it broke a 3-3 tie with one out in the frame. G.R. Schalickfollowed with a solo shot, his eighth on the year, to cap the scoring.
Virginia took an early 2-0 lead thanks to solo home runs by JonMetzger and Jon Benick in the second and third innings, respectively. Itwas the first-career home run for Metzger, a member of the Cavalierstarting rotation who, as the designated hitter, was in just his thirdatbat at UVa. Benick’s extended his team lead to eight.
Richmond cut the lead in half with Dwyer’s first homer in thefourth and then took the lead with a two-spot in the third. However,Virginia quickly knotted the game in the top of the sixth when TimLaVignedoubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on another.
The seventh inning spoiled the first start by Kevin Shrout (2-4)since a March 14 loss at No. 1 Florida State. The junior right handertossed six and one-thirds innings, allowing four runs on nine hits withtwowalks and seven strike outs. He surrendered a one-out single in theseventhbefore exiting the game. Denny Chapman then walked both batters he facedbefore giving way to Bradley Nuckols. Pitching for the first time sinceVirginia’s first game of the season Jan. 29, Nuckols was the victim forboth home runs.
Tom Mahony lasted five and one-thirds innings for the Spidersbutdid not figure in the decision. Blake Leonards (1-2), who tossed thefinaltwo and two-thirds innings perfectly save one hit batter, picked up thewin.
Benick finished with three hits on the day, extending his streaktosix consecutive games with two or more hits. David Stone was the onlyotherCavalier with multiple hits on the day, slapping a pair of singles afterbeing robbed of a home run by Spider centerfielder Nic Jackson in thetopof the second.
Virginia will return to action Wednesday, hosting No. 23VirginiaCommonwealth at 3 p.m.
RICHMOND 8, VIRGINIA 3
UVa (14-20) 011 001 000 - 3 8 2UR (21-8) 000 120 50x - 8 13 0
WP – Leonards (1-2).LP – Shrout (2-4). Sv – None.Shrout, Chapman (7), Nuckols (7), Marinak (8) and Rueffert; Mahony,Dodson(6), Leonards (7) and Lamberg.T – 2:36.A – 355.