Cavalier Baseball Downs Elon 10-3 in Season Opener
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Feb. 9, 2007
CONWAY, S.C. – Brandon Marsh (Alpharetta, Ga.) went 2-for-3, including a two-run home run that gave the Cavaliers the lead as the Virginia opened the 2007 season with a 10-3 victory over Elon Friday afternoon in the first game of the Springmaid Beach Resort Tournament at Coastal Carolina. The eighth-ranked Cavaliers overcame an early deficit with ten unanswered runs to win their season opener for the second consecutive season.
“I was very proud of the team, especially how they handled adversity,” head coach Brian O’Connor said. “To give up three in the top of first and regroup and come back showed a lot of maturity. Overall, it was great to get the season started and have a chance to play someone wearing a different uniform.”
Freshman Tyler Cannon (Pigeon Forge, Tenn.) had a 3-for-5 effort at the plate in his Cavalier debut, David Adams (Margate, Fla.) went 2-for-3 in the game, as the Virginia offense totaled 10 runs on 12 hits, drew six walks, and were hit five times.
Sean Doolittle (Tabernacle, N.J.) got the win on the mound for the Cavaliers (1-0), allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits in five innings. He struck out six, while walking just one on the afternoon. Jesse Lewter took the loss for Elon (0-1), allowing six earned runs on seven hits with 3.1 innings of work.
Andrew Carraway (Marietta, Ga.) worked three innings of no-hit, shutout relief, while freshman Jeff Lorick (Duluth, Ga.) pitched a scoreless ninth inning in his first career appearance.
The Phoenix jumped out to an early lead as they scored three runs in the top of the first. The Cavaliers answered with one run in the bottom of the first as they took advantage of three hit batters in the inning. Marsh had a one-out single before Doolittle and Adams were hit on consecutive pitches to load the bases. With two outs, Jeremy Farrell (Westlake, Ohio) was hit by a pitch to force in Marsh.
Virginia added another run in the bottom of the third. Marsh led off the inning with a walk and scored on Farrell’s two-out single. The Cavalier offense exploded for four runs to take a 6-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Cannon led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Mike Mitchell (Chesapeake, Va.). Cannon scored on Greg Miclat’s (Concord, N.C.) double down the left field line to tie the game. Virginia took its first lead on Marsh’s two-run home run over the right field wall. Later in the inning, Adams was hit by a pitch and eventually scored on Brandon Guyer’s (Herndon, Va.) single.
The Cavaliers added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth. Beau Seabury (Mt. Vernon, Wash.) was hit by a pitch and Miclat walked, and both scored on a throwing error later in the inning to make the score 8-3.
In the bottom of the seventh, Virginia added two runs to make the score 10-3. Cannon led off the inning with a single. Mitchell followed with a single to left that was misplayed by the left fielder, allowing Cannon to score and Mitchell to reach third. Mitchell scored on Miclat’s sacrifice fly.
The Cavaliers will continue play at the Springmaid Beach Resort Tournament on Saturday, when they play North Florida. Game time at Charles Watson Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m. Jacob Thompson is slated to start for Virginia, while Tyler Stohr is the scheduled starter for the Ospreys.