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March 15, 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 entered their contest with the Tigerslooking to improve on their 10-10-1 record in hopes of moving over the .500mark for the first time this season.
Virginia did just that, as UVa defeated Princeton by the score of5-2 to gather its 11th win of the season. The victory not only gave theCavaliers their first winning record of the season, its also marked the500th career coaching victory for UVa head baseball coach Dennis Womack.Womack, in his 20th season as Virginia’s head coach, now stands at500-496-7.
Princeton’s Jon Watterson (1-5, run) started the game off with asingle to third base. in PU’s first at-bat. After Pat Boran (1-4, run) andAndrew Hanson (2-4) walked, Watterson scored the Tigers first run of thegame when Eric Voelker hit into a double play that scored Watterson to putPrinceton on top, 1-0.
The Cavaliers answered right back with a run of their own in thebottom of the first inning when Robbie Marvin (2-4, run) singled to leftfield. Two batters later, Hunter Wyant (1-4) hit a RBI-double to leftfield to score Marvin, tying the game at 1-1.
Virginia scored two more runs in the bottom of the second inning topull out to a 3-1 lead. After Grant Mayer (two runs) reached base on afielder’s choice and then moved to third on a throwing error by Princetoncatcher Casey Hildreth, Michael Floyd (2-3, two RBI, run) hit a RBI-doubleto left center field to score Mayer. David Stone (2-4, two RBI) hit aRBI-single to right center field in UVa’s next at-bat that scored Floyd togive the Cavaliers a two run lead.
Virginia would hold onto its 3-1 lead until the bottom of thefourth inning, when UVa scored two more runs. Mark Rueffert (1-3, run)singled to center field and eventually scored when Floyd hit his seconddouble of the contest to make it a 4-1 game. Mayer, who reached base afterbeing hit by a pitch, scored the Cavaliers fifth run when Stone hit safelyto first base on a bunt-single.
Princeton would score a run in the top of the seventh inning whenHildreth (2-4, RBI) doubled down the left field line to score Boran, makingit a 5-2 contest. However, that would be all the scoring the Tigers wouldgather as Virginia held on for the 5-2 win.
First-year pitcher Doug Vroman (1-1) recorded his first collegiatevictory as a pitcher as he threw 5.0 innings after replacing starterBrandon Creswell, who left the game after one inning of work. Vromanallowed zero runs on five hits and struckout three Princeton batters.Senior RHP Tim LaVigne posted his fifth save of the season after strikingout four batters in the last two innings to seal the win for UVa.
With the victory, the Cavaliers improve to 11-10-1 on the season,while the Tigers fall to 2-4 on the year. Virginia will now leave thefriendly confines of the UVa Baseball Field to play four consecutive roadgames starting with a trip to Radford, Va. to face the Radford Highlandersin a single game scheduled for Thursday, March 16th at 3:00 p.m. After thecompletion of that contest, UVa will head to Raleigh, N.C. for a three-gameAtlantic Coast Conference series with the North Carolina State Wolfpack.The series with N.C. State will be Virginia’s first ACC contests of theseason. The Wolfpack and Cavaliers were picked to finish tied for sixth inthe 2000 ACC Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll.
Princeton will travel to Lexington, Va. to face VMI on Thursday,March 16th at 3:00 p.m.
Princeton 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 - 2 9 0Virginia 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 - 5 9 1
WP- Vroman (1-1)
LP- Higgins (0-1)
Save- LaVigne (5)
2B: UVa 3 – Floyd (2), Wyant, PU 3 – Hanson, Hildreth, Phillips.
3B: None
HR: None
LOB: PU 11, UVa 4.
DP: UVa 1, PU 0.
SF: None
SH: None
SB: UVa 1 – Marvin, PU 0.
CS: UVa 2 – Stone, LaVigne.
E: PU 2 – Hildreth, Phillips, UVa 1 – Wyant.
Attendance: 86
Time: 2:10
Note: Virginia head baseball coach records his 500th career coaching victory at UVa.