Virginia Baseball Escapes With 6-4 Victory Over Duke In Extra Innings
Story Links
March 22, 2002
DURHAM, N.C. – The University of Virginia baseball team pulled out a 6-4 victory in extra innings over the host Duke Blue Devils in an Atlantic Coast Conference match at Jack Coombs Field. With the game tied at 4-4 after nine innings, UVa’s Dan Street singled and eventually scored the game-winning run en route to Virginia’s two-run victory.
After playing five scoreless innings of baseball, Duke took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning when Aaron Kempster (single) and Larry Broadway (walk) reached base before each player scored a run on a RBI-single by Troy Caradonna and a sacrifice fly to center field by Kevin Kelly.
Trailing by two runs in the top of the eighth inning, Virginia responded and turned its two-run deficit into a two-run lead by scoring four runs of its own. After Andrew Riesenfeld walked and Mark Reynolds singled to put runners on first and second base, Matt Street singled two batters later to drive in Riesenfeld to make it a 2-1 game. In UVa’s next at-bat, D. Street singled to score Reynolds, knotting the game at 2-2. One batter later, Robert Word singled to drive in M. Street to give the Cavaliers their first lead of the game at 3-2 before Miguel Luina turned in a RBI-ground out to scored D. Street, giving Virginia a 4-2 advantage.
The Blue Devils scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning when Caradonna singled and Kelly walked before each player scored a run to tie the game at 4-4 to force extra innings. Duke left the bases loaded before lining out to first base to end the inning.
Virginia took a 5-4 lead in the top of the tenth inning when Chris Sweet hit a RBI-single up the middle to drive in D. Street. In UVa’s next at-bat, the Blue Devils’ Justin Dilucchio balked and allowed Luina to score a run from third base to make it a 6-4 Virginia lead.
UVa’s Greg Hansard (1-1) gathered the win after going 1.2 innings in relief action. The Cavaliers’ Chris Gale started and went eight strong innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits with a game-high ten strikeouts in a no-decision. The Blue Devils’ Justine Dilucchio took the loss after allowing two runs on four hits in 2.2 innings of work.
With the win, Virginia’s record improves to 13-9 overall, 2-2 in the ACC. The loss drops Duke’s record to 14-8 overall, 0-1 in the conference.
The Cavaliers and Blue Devils will return to action on Saturday, March 23rd at 1:30 p.m. The contest will be played at Jack Coombs Field.