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March 13, 2001
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The University of Virginia baseball team recorded its second consecutive road victory with a 6-3 victory over the UNC-Greensboro Spartans at the UNCG Baseball Stadium. UVa’s Jon Benick (2-4, three RBI) hit two home runs to pace the Cavaliers in the three-run win.
Virginia jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning when Benick hit his sixth home run of the season when he blasted a two-run shot deep to center field. The Cavaliers opened up a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning when Dan Street doubled and then scored later in the inning.
After UNCG cut UVa’s lead to 3-1, Benick sent his seventh home run of the season clear over the right field scoreboard and into the parking deck next to the stadium, making it a 5-1 contest. Benick has now hit three home runs in his last two games.
The Cavaliers’ Chris Sweet and Hunter Wyant (2-5, RBI, run, triple) each scored a run in the seventh inning to give Virginia a 6-1 lead. UNC-Greensboro scored two more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but that would be all the scoring UVa would allow as the Cavaliers held on for the 6-3 victory.
Virginia’s Alexander “Shooter” Starr (2-0) earned his second victory of the year after pitching 5.0 innings and allowing only one run while scattering five hits. UVa’s Chris Marinak (3.0 innings) and Greg Hansard (1.0 inning) each pitched in relief. Marinak gathered his first save of the year while Hansard recorded the last three outs in the contest by striking out three batters to close the game.
With the victory, Virginia’s record improves to 9-7 overall, while the loss drops UNC-Greensboro’s record to 11-7. The Cavaliers and Spartans will return to action on Wednesday, March 14th. The contest is scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m. and will be played at the UNCG Baseball Stadium.