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#5 Wake Forest Escapes With 8-7 Victory Over Virginia
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April 12, 2002
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia baseball team dropped a close 8-7 contest to the #5 Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the first game of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference weekend series. Wake Forest committed six errors but was able to escape with a narrow one-run victory in front of 426 spectators at the UVa Baseball Stadium this evening. The Demon Deacons needed a fly ball to left field with UVa’s tying run on third base to seal the win.
Wake Forest took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning and scored the contest’s first run when Ryan Braun connected on a solo home run to left field. But Virginia tied the score in the bottom half of the inning when Chris Sweet scored from second base on an infield RBI-single (followed by a WFU error) by Andrew Riesenfeld to knot the score at 1-1 through two innings of play.
The Demon Deacons regained the lead in the top of the third inning and took a 2-1 lead when Ryan Hubbard doubled to left field and scored a run on a sacrifice bunt by Nick Blue two batters later. Adam Bourasse scored another Wake Forest run after he reached first base on a walk before Jamie D’Antona drove him in with a RBI-single to left field to make it a 3-1 contest.
Wake Forest extended its lead to 5-1 in the top of the fifth inning when Stephan Ghutzman dropped a two-run, bases-loaded single into shallow left-center field to drive in Blue and D’Antona. But UVa answered right back in the bottom half of the inning with three runs of its own when Kyle Werman (error), Matt Street (fielder’s choicer) and Dan Street (single) each scored a run after reaching base to pull the Cavaliers within one run at 5-4. All three of Virginia’s runs were unearned after WFU committed two errors in the inning to aid the Cavaliers scoring. Two of UVa’s three runs came on a two-out strikeout that resulted in a past ball.
The Demon Deacons took a 6-4 lead in the top of the sixth inning when Jeff Ruziecki led off the inning with a double before scoring a run three batters later on a RBI-single up the middle by Bourassa. But Virginia answered right back with a run of its own in the bottom half of the inning when Sweet doubled and scored one batter later when Riesenfeld connected on a RBI-single up the middle to make it a 6-5 contest.
Wake Forest extended its lead to 8-5 in the top of the seventh inning when Braun and Ruziecki each scored a run on back-to-back RBI-singles by Ben Ingold and Hubbard. However, UVa cut WFU’s lead to 8-6 in the bottom half of the inning when Robert Word singled and later scored on a RBI-single to right field by Rob Newton.
Virginia made a late charge in the bottom of the ninth inning to pull within one run of Wake Forest at 8-7 when Riesenfeld recorded a sacrifice fly RBI to deep center field to score Newton, but that would be the last run the Cavaliers would muster as the Demon Deacons held on for the one-run victory.
UVa’s starting pitcher Joe Koshansky (1-4) took the loss after going 6.2 innings and allowed eight runs on 12 hits with five strikeouts. WFU’s Kyle Sleeth (7-0) posted the win after going six innings and allowed five runs (one earned) on six hits with five strikeouts. The Demon Deacons’ Dave Bush pitched two innings and allowed one run (unearned) to go along with two strikeouts en route to his eighth save of the year.
With the loss, Virginia’s record falls to 19-16 overall, 7-6 in the ACC. The win improves Wake Forest’s record to 26-6 overall, 9-3 in the conference. The Cavaliers and Demon Deacons will return to action on Saturday, April 13th when UVa and WFU play the second contest of the three-game weekend series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the UVa Baseball Stadium.
– UVa –