/
.
Virginia Baseball Defeats Navy 6-2 to Sweep Weekend Series
Story Links
Feb. 18, 2001
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia baseball team defeated the U.S. Naval Academy by the score of 6-2 this afternoon at the UVa Baseball Field in the final game of a three-game series with the Midshipmen. Virginia jumped out to an early 5-0 lead and held Navy scoreless through seven inning of play en route to its third win of the 2001 season. The Cavaliers also won the first two games of the weekend (9-1, 10-3) to sweep the three-game series.
UVa scored four first inning runs to pull out to a 4-0 lead and maintained control throughout most of the contest. David Stone (1-3, two runs) walked in Virginia’s first at-bat before Jon Benick (2-4, run) singled to right field to put runners on the corners. UVa’s Hunter Wyant (1-3, two RBI, run) then hit an RBI-single to left field to score Stone to make it a 1-0 game. Mark Rueffert (1-3, RBI, run) hit an RBI-single to left field that scored Benick to make it 2-0 before Eric Christensen (RBI) scored Wyant on a fielders choice, pushing the Cavaliers lead to 3-0. Virginia’s Chris Sweet (1-3, RBI) hit an RBI-single to left field to score Rueffert to extend UVa’s lead to 4-0.
The Cavaliers added another run in the second inning when Wyant hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Stone, making it a 5-0 contest. From there, Virginia rode the steady arm of pitcher Dan Street (1-0) for the next five innings, as he pitched a two-hit shutout through seven innings of work. Street picked up right where he left off on the mound from last season and allowed zero runs and only two hits while striking out a game-high six batters. Navy’s Matt Foster was the only Midshipmen batter who recorded a hit off of Street.
Navy finally scored its first run of the game in the top of the eighth inning when pinch hitter Willie Gury tripled down the right field line to score teammate Jake Miller, making it a 5-1 game. The Cavaliers would answer the Midshipmen’s eighth inning run with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning when Robert Word (RBI) hit into a fielders choice that scored Street, making it a 6-1 contest.
The Midshipmen scored the final run of the game in the top of the ninth inning when Craig Candeto hit an RBI-double that scored John Cocca to make the final score 6-2.
UVa’s Street was the winning pitcher, while Navy’s Brian Pennell was dealt the loss. The Cavaliers’ Cannon Hickman recorded three strikeouts (including a strikeout against his first batter faced) to retire the side in his first inning of collegiate pitching.
With the win, Virginia’s record improves to 3-0 overall, while the loss drops Navy’s record to 0-3 on the season. UVa will return to home action on Saturday, February 24th when Virginia hosts Penn State in a doubleheader which is part of a three-game series ( Feb. 24-25). Saturday’s doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 12:00 noon and will be played at the UVa Baseball Field.
Game 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H ENavy - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 5 1Virginia- 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 6 6 2
WP- Street (1-0)LP- Pennell (0-1)Save- None2B: Navy 2 – Candeto, Foster.3B: Navy 1 – Gury.HR: None.LOB: Navy 4, UVa 4.DP: Navy 1.SF: UVa 1 – Wyant.SH: None.SB: UVa 1 – D. Street.CS: None.E: UVa 2 – Benick, Wyant. Navy 1- Sylvester,Attendance: 112.Note: Virginia sweeps three-game series with Navy.
– UVa –