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Virginia Falls To Clemson In Game One Of ACC Series, 13-4
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April 15, 2005
CLEMSON, S.C. – The Virginia Cavaliers (24-12, 5-9 ACC) fell to the Clemson Tigers (20-13, 10-3 ACC) in game one of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series by the score of 13-4 in front of 4,808 spectators at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. UVa built itself a 4-1 lead in front of a large raucous crowd heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. But the Tigers came storming back to post five runs in the sixth inning and seven more runs in the seventh inning to pull away for a nine-run victory over the Cavaliers.
After three and a half innings of scoreless baseball, Clemson scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning when Kris Harvey blasted a solo home run to deep left field to make it 1-0.
The Cavaliers answered back in the top of the fifth inning and took a 2-1 lead and made the Tigers pay for a hit batter and an error. UVa’s Josh Darby led off the side by reaching base after being hit by a pitch before he advanced to second when Matt Street’s comeback to the pitcher resulted in an errant throw by Clemson’s Harvey that ended up in center field. After a sacrifice bunt by Ryan Hudson that moved Darby to third and Street to second, Kyle Werman slapped a RBI-single to shallow center field to drive in Darby to make it 1-1. One batter later, Tim Henry drove in Street for another run with a RBI-single to left field to give the Cavaliers their first lead of the game at 2-1.
Virginia’s pair of runs in the side ended a 24-inning scoring drought in ACC play by the Cavaliers, dating back to UVa’s 2-0 game one win over N.C. State in a conference series on Friday, April 8th.
Virginia extended its lead to 4-1 in the top of the sixth inning after Sean Doolittle and Brandon Guyer posted back-to-back singles before each base runner scored a run on a two-out, two-run RBI-single to center field by Street.
Trailing by three runs, Clemson erased Virginia’s lead and regained the lead itself at 6-4 with a two-out rally where the Tigers scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Clemson’s Harvey cut UVa’s lead in half at 4-2 when he launched another solo home run, this time to center field. After a single up the middle by Travis Storrer, Andy D’Alessio connected on a RBI-double to left-center field to drive in Storrer to cut the Cavaliers lead to one run at 4-3. In the Tigers’ next at-bat, Stan Widmann’s RBI-single through the right side drove in D’Alessio to tie the game at 4-4. With Widmann on first, Adrian Casanova drew a walk before Wildmann advanced to third base on a wild pitch to put runners on the corners. In the Tigers’ next at-bat, Herman Demmink lined a ball to left field that got past the Cavaliers’ Tom Hagan on an error that allowed both Wildmann and Casanova to score on the play, giving Clemson a two-run lead at 6-4 through six complete innings.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Clemson broke the game wide open and took a commanding 13-4 lead by erupting four seven runs on five hits and was aided by three UVa errors. Seven of the first eight Tigers that stepped to the plate reached base and scored a run, including the first five consecutive batters in the side. Clemson’s seven-run seventh the put the game out of reach as the Tigers posted their 20th win of the season, snapping the Cavaliers’ three-game winning streak in the series.
UVa starting pitcher Matt Avery (4-3) took the loss after going 5.2 innings and allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits and struck out four batters. The Cavaliers’ Scott Morgenthaler (0.1 inning) and Alex Smith (2.0 innings) also saw action in relief duty.
Clemson’s Harvey (5-1) picked up the win after tossing 6.0 innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits and struck out three batters.
With the loss, Virginia’s record falls to 24-12 overall, 5-9 in the ACC. The win improves Clemson’s record to 20-13 overall, 10-3 in the conference. The Tigers take a one game to none lead in the series.
Virginia and Clemson will return to action on Saturday, April 16th when the Cavaliers and Tigers play the second contest of the three-game ACC series. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 PM at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
— UVa —