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April 10, 2004

Box Score |? Video Highlights

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia baseball team extended its winning streak to nine games and recorded a doubleheader sweep over the Clemson Tigers in the second and third games of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series at Davenport Field at the UVa Baseball Stadium. Virginia posted a 4-3 come-from-behind victory in the first game of the DH before recording a 3-1 win in the second game of the afternoon. Virginia posted its first sweep over Clemson in baseball since 1972 (UVa also won 5-1 on Friday) and also matched its overall (29) and ACC (11) win totals from last season. The Cavaliers’ 11 ACC wins this season ties the mark set by the 2003 and 1996 squads for the most conference wins in school history.

In the first game of the doubleheader, Virginia and Clemson took turns trading slim leads until the eighth inning. With the scored tied at 2-2 in the top of the eighth, the Tigers took a 3-2 lead thanks to a solo home run to left field by Kris Harvey. But in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Cavaliers responded with another two out rally. With two outs and the bases empty, UVa’s Ryan Zimmerman doubled to left-center field before scoring one batter later on a RBI-double down the right field line by Joe Koshansky to tie the game at 3-3. In Virginia’s next at-bat, the Cavaliers’ Matt Dunn put an exclamation point on his 4-for-4 day at the plate when he singled up the middle to post the game-winning hit when he drove in Koshansky to score the eventual game-winning run.

Aside from scoring the game-winning run, Koshansky (6-1) also picked up the win on the mound. He tossed 8.0 innings and allowed just one earned run on six hits to go along with his game-high seven strikeouts. Closing pitcher Casey Lambert picked up his fifth save of the season after pitching a scoreless inning and struck out two batters. Clemson’s Patrick Hogan (0-2) suffered the loss after letting a save situation slip away. He lasted just 0.2 innings and gave up two runs on three hits.

In the second contest of the doubleheader, Virginia scored all the runs it would need to win the game in just the first inning after taking an early 2-0 lead. Koshansky plated the first run of the game for the Cavaliers when his sacrifice fly to center field scored Matt Street, who singled to lead-off the side. In UVa’s next at-bat, Dunn scored Mark Reynolds from third base with a RBI-single to left field after Reynolds walked to reach base earlier in the inning.

UVa extended its lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the third inning when Reynolds belted a solo home run to left-center field. Reynolds’ home run was his eighth of the season.

Clemson scored its only run of the game in the top of the fourth inning when Brad McCann’s slicing double to right field narrowly dropped in for a hit after the ball glanced off the outstretched arm of a streaking Street (UVa right fielder), scoring Herman Demmink (who doubled to reach base). But that was all the scoring the Tigers could muster as UVa claimed a two-run win by the score of 3-1.

UVa’s starting pitcher Matt Avery (4-1) picked up the win and pitched the first complete game of his collegiate career. He went 9.0 innings and allowed just one run on four hits and struck out a game-high five batters. The Tigers’ Stephen Faris (1-3) was dealt the loss after going 6.1 innings and allowed three runs on four hits.

With the two victories, Virginia’s record improves to 29-7 overall, 11-4 in the ACC. The two losses drop Clemson’s record to 18-13 overall, 6-3 in the conference. UVa swept the series three games to none and allowed Clemson to score just five runs in three games.

Virginia will return to action on Wednesday, April 14th when UVa travels to Blacksburg, Va. to face the Virginia Tech Hokies in a non-conference game. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM.

— UVa —

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