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Feb. 16, 2000
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia baseball teamhosted the Old Dominion Monarch’s in the Cavaliers home-opener at the UVaBaseball Field this afternoon in front of 276 spectators. Virginia wascoming off a three-game losing streak after its season-opening series withthe LSU Tigers, while Old Dominion was looking to improve its 2-2 record asit entered its match-up with UVa. In a game of back-and-forth play thatextended into the evening, the two teams finished tied at 14-14 and thegame was called after eight innings of play due to darkness.
Virginia jumped on the scoreboard first when Jon Benick (3-5, RBI,run) singled to left field scored David Stone (1-3, 2 runs, RBI) to giveUVa an early 1-0 lead after one inning of play. ODU would answer rightback in the second inning when Jeff Eure hit a solo homerun over the leftfield fence to make it a 1-1 game.
Virginia would score four runs in the bottom of the third inning topull out to a 5-1 lead. The four-run inning was sparked by an RBI singleto center field by Hunter Wyant (2-5, 3 RBI) that scored teammate TimLaVigne (2-6, 5 RBI, 2 runs). After a Benick double to right center, DanStreet (1-3, 2 runs, RBI) eventually singled to left center field to scoreBenick and Ben Himes, who reached base on a walk. Luis Giraldo (1-2, 3runs, RBI) added an RBI doubled to center field that scored Street to makeit a 5-1 UVa lead.
Old Dominion exploded in the fifth inning by scoring five runs tore-take the lead at 6-5. However, Virginia came right back with anotherfour-run inning, this time in the bottom of the fifth. Robbie Marvin (2-3,3 runs, RBI)
started the ‘Hoos off with an RBI single to right fieldthat scored Mark Rueffert that tied the game at 6-6. Stone then followedwith an RBI single to right field that scored Giraldo to make it a 7-6Cavalier advantage. Virginia would tack on two more runs when LaVignedrove in Marvin on a fielder’s choice. Wyant then hit an RBI singled toleft that scored LaVigne and extended Virginia’s lead to 9-6.
However, ODU came right back in the top of the sixth inning andtook a one run lead when Brent Sollenberger smacked a grand slam homerunover the center field fence to make it a 10-9 contest. UVa then addedthree runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to regain the lead at 12-10when LaVigne hit a two-run double to left field that scored Marvin andGiraldo. The Cavaliers scored their 12th run when Wyant hit sacrifice flyto left field that scored Stone.
Trailing 12-10 in the top of the eight and eventual final inning,Old Dominion came to life again at the plate and scored four more runs totake a 14-12 lead. The game appeared to be wrapped up for the Monarch’swhen the first two Cavalier batters went 0-2. With two outs in the finalinning of play, Virginia put together a rally and scored two runs to tiethe game at 14-14. After Giraldo got on base on a walk, he then stolesecond base. Marvin and Stone walked in the next two at-bat’s for Virginiato load the bases with two out. LaVigne then hit the game-tying hit whenhe singled to center field to score both Giraldo and Marvin to knot thegame at 14-14. Wyant then grounded to shortstop and the game was calleddue to darkness with the scored tied at 14-14.
With the tie, Virginia’s record moves to 0-3-1 overall, while OldDominion’s mark moves to 2-2-1 on the season. The Cavaliers will return toaction on Friday, February 18th when UVa travels to Lynchburg, Va. to facethe Liberty Flames at 2:30 p.m.
Old Dominion (2-2-1) 0 1 0 0 5 4 0 4 14 12 1Virginia (0-3-1) 1 0 4 0 4 0 3 2 14 12 5
WP- None
LP- None
2B: (ODU-1) T. Hummel, (UVa-4) Benick 2, LaVigne, Giraldo.
3B: (ODU-1) Musolf.
HR: (ODU-2) Sollenberger (Grand Slam), Eure.
LOB: UVa-10, ODU-7.
DP: UVa-1.
SF: (UVa-1) Wyant.
SB: (UVa-3) LaVigne 2, Giraldo, (ODU-2), Greiner, Oehler.
E: (UVa-5), Giraldo (2), LaVigne, Wyant, Street, (ODU-1) Eure.
Attendance: 276
Time: 3:10.
Note: Game was played through eight innings and then stopped due to darkness.