Baseball Blanks Bucknell in Opener, 12-0

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. The Virginia baseball team opened its 2009 season in resounding fashion Friday afternoon, shutting out Bucknell, 12-0, at Davenport Field. Virginia pitchers Andrew Carraway (Sr., Marietta, Ga.), Sean Lucas (R-Fr., Fishkill, N.Y.) and Shane Halley (Fr., Burke, Va.) combined to blank the Bison on four hits, while Dan Grovatt (So., Tabernacle, N.J.) and Steven Proscia (Fr., Suffern, N.Y.) each had three hits, including a home run.

Grovatt homered, tripled, scored three times and drove in two, while Proscia homered in his first college game, scored twice and also knocked in two. Virginia racked up 15 hits in the contest. Jarrett Parker (So., Stafford, Va.), Danny Hultzen (Fr., Bethesda, Md.) and Tyler Cannon (Jr., Pigeon Forge, Tenn.) each had a pair of hits for the Cavaliers.

Carraway earned the opening-day start on the mound for UVa and notched the win after pitching 5.1 innings, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out four. The bullpen was equally impressive. Lucas worked 2.2 scoreless innings, while Halley wrapped things up by striking out the side in the ninth inning. Bucknell had just one baserunner advance to second base.

Dylan Seeley took the loss for Bucknell after starting and pitching three innings while allowing eight runs (four earned), nine hits and two walks.

The Cavaliers wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard literally as Grovatt launched a towering two-run shot high off the video board in right-center field in the first inning. UVa added a run in the second inning on a Hultzen infield single to plate Cannon.

Virginia batted around and blew the game open with a five-run third inning. After Grovatt reached on an error to lead off, Proscia singled and John Barr (So., Ivyland, Pa.) bunted for a single. John Hicks (Fr., Sandy Hook, Va.) hit a sacrifice fly to score Grovatt, and Cannon then reached on an infield single which scored Proscia. One out later, Parker doubled to left field to bring home two runs and give UVa a 7-0 lead. Hultzen hit the next pitch to right-center for a single to push to lead to 8-0.

UVa tacked on a run in the fourth, as Grovatt tripled to lead off and Proscia plated him with a single. In the sixth, Proscia produced another run as he hit a solo home run into the left-field bleachers. The Cavaliers added their final two runs in the seventh inning on a two-run pinch-hit single by Tyler Biddix (So., Richmond, Va.).

The teams are back at Davenport Field at 1 p.m. Saturday for a doubleheader. The series wraps up at 1 p.m. Sunday.