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March 14, 2000
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia baseball teamreturned to home action this afternoon to host the Princeton Tigers at theUVa Baseball Field. The Cavaliers were looking to even their record at.500 as UVa entered the game with a 9-10-1 mark on the season. The Tigerswere competing in the 3,500th baseball game in the history of Princetonbaseball and brought a 2-2 mark into the contest with the Cavaliers.Virginia fell behind by the score of 3-0 early before rallying to topPrinceton 11-5.
The Tigers scored the games first run in the top of the firstinning when Pat Boran (1-3, two RBI, two runs) walked and then scored a runwhen teammate Max Krance hit into a fielder’s choice. Princeton would tackon two more runs in the top of the third inning to take a 3-0 lead when JayMitchell (1-3, RBI, run) singled and then scored a run after Boran hit atwo-run homerun to left field.
The game would remain 3-0 until the bottom of the fourth inningwhen UVa’s Mark Rueffert (2-2, three runs, RBI) hit a solo homerun tocenter field to put the Cavaliers on the scoreboard. Virginia eventuallytied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning when David Stone(2-5, two RBI, run) hit an RBI-single to center field to score Rueffert tomake it a 3-2 game. Michael Floyd (2-3, two runs) scored on a wild pitchfrom third base with two outs in the inning to tie the contest at 3-3.
The Tigers would take a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh inningwhen Mitchell hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Jon Wattersonbefore Virginia exploded for eight runs in the bottom half of the inning.
With two outs and zero runners one base, Tim LaVigne (2-5, run)started the UVa rally with a single to left field. Dan Street was hit by apitch in the Cavaliers next at-bat before Rueffert walked to load the basesfor Virginia. Grant Mayer (2-5, two RBI, run) hit an RBI-single to leftfield that scored LaVigne and Street to give UVa a 5-4 lead. Floyd hit asingle in the Cavaliers next at-bat to load the bases once again beforeStone hit an RBI-single on a bunt that led to Rueffert and Mayer scoringruns, pushing Virginia’s lead to 7-4. Robbie Marvin (1-5, RBI, run) hit anRBI-single to second base to score Floyd that gave UVa an 8-4 lead. Stonethen stole third base to put runners on the corners for Jon Benick (1-5,three RBI, run), who cleared the bases with a three-run homerun that heblasted over the top of the scoreboard in left field, making it an 11-4contest in favor of UVa.
Princeton would add a late run in the top of the ninth inning whenJonathan Miller (1-1) hit an RBI-single to right field to score RyanAchterberg (2-4, run), making it an 11-5 game. However, that would be asclose as the Tigers would get as the Cavaliers retired the remainder of theside.
UVa’s Alexander “Shooter” Starr (1-1) recorded his first collegiatevictory as a pitcher at Virginia as he threw seven strong innings. Starrstruckout eight Princeton batters and allowed only five hits in his outing.Jay Tedeman (0-1) was dealt the loss after surrendering seven runs on sixhits in only one-third of an inning.
With the victory, the Cavaliers improved their record to 10-10-1overall, while the loss drops Princeton’s record to 2-3 on the year.Virginia and Princeton will met again on Wednesday, March 15th at 2:00 p.m.and the UVa Baseball Field.
| Princeton | 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 | – | 5 | 8 | 2 | |
| Virginia | 0 0 0 1 0 2 8 0 X | – | 11 | 13 | 0 |
WP– Starr (1-1)
LP– Tedeman (0-1)
Save– None
2B: None
3B: None
HR: UVa 2 – Benick, Rueffert, PU 1 – Boran.
LOB: UVa 9, PU 7.
DP: PU 1, UVa 0.
SF: PU 1 – Mitchell, UVa 0.
SH: None.
SB: UVa 2 – Stone, Floyd, PU 0.
CS: UVa 1 – Benick, PU 1 – Watterson.
E: PU 2 – Boran, Voelker, UVa 0.
Attendance: 94
Time: 2:34
Note: Princeton played in its 3,500th baseball game this afternoon.