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#7 Virginia Rolls To 15-2 Victory Over #24 Florida State
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May 8, 2004
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The #7 ranked University of Virginia baseball team cruised to a 15-2 victory in game two of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series against the #24 ranked Florida State Seminoles at Davenport Field at the UVa Baseball Stadium. UVa rode the arm of starting pitcher Matt Avery and pounded out 20 hits, including a 5-for-6 performance at the plate from third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, to roll to a 13-run win. The victory evens the series between UVa and FSU at one game apiece.
UVa plated four runs in the first and third innings before tallying seven more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 15-0 lead through six complete innings. FSU plated a lone run in the seventh inning and added another run in the top of the eighth inning, but got no closer than 13 runs of the Cavaliers the rest of the way.
Virginia took an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when the Cavaliers came out of the gate swinging. Three of UVa’s four runs came courtesy of RBI at-bats by Joe Koshansky (fielder’s choice), Paul Gillispie (single) and Scott Headd (double). A fourth run in the inning occurred on a FSU balk. The Cavaliers doubled their 4-0 lead and made it an 8-0 contest in the bottom of the third inning by tacking on four more runs in the side. Two of the four runs were scored off of the bat of Headd, who connected on his first collegiate home run after sending a two-run shot over the left field wall.
Virginia maintained its 8-0 lead until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Cavaliers scored seven more runs to take a 15-0 lead. UVa’s Gillispie (two-run double) and Zimmerman (two-run single) were responsible for driving in four of the seven runs in the inning.
Florida State scored its first run of the game in the top of the seventh inning when Ryne Malone’s RBI-single plated teammate Brant Peacher to make it a 15-1 contest. The Seminoles added another run in the top of the eighth inning to make it a 15-2 ball game when Stephen Drew’s RBI-single scored Matt Sauls. But that would be all the scoring FSU would muster as UVa claimed the 15-2 victory.
UVa’s starting pitcher Matt Avery (5-2) picked up the win on the mound after going 7.1 strong innings. He allowed just two runs and scattered five hits and struck out a game-high five batters. Avery limited the Seminoles to just one hit and was in control of a shutout through the first six innings of play.
FSU starting pitcher Brian Schultz (5-1) suffered his first loss of the season and lasted just 3.0 innings after allowing eight runs on 10 hits to go along with four strikeouts.
With the victory, Virginia’s record improves to 37-10 overall, 15-5 in the ACC. The loss drops Florida State’s record to 30-18 overall, 9-8 in the conference. The series in tied at one game apiece with the rubber match set for Sunday.
Virginia and Florida State will return to action on Sunday, May 9th when the Cavaliers and Seminoles play the third and final contest of the three-game ACC series. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 PM at Davenport Field at the UVa Baseball Stadium.
— UVa —